


Draco Malfoy and The Girl Who Tampered With Time

by Win_Martinez



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Lives, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, By the Book, F/M, Hogwarts Inter-House Friendships, Hogwarts Inter-House Relationships, Hogwarts Inter-House Unity, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Hufflepuff Pride, Light-Hearted, Mahoutokoro (Harry Potter), No One Dies After Order of the Phoenix, Ravenclaw & Gryffindor Inter-House Friendships, Ravenclaw Pride, Severus Snape Lives, Sirius Black Lives, Voldemort (Harry Potter) Dies, Yakuza, characters swear a lot, future meets past, slight OOC characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22317130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Win_Martinez/pseuds/Win_Martinez
Summary: September 01, 2020Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with witches and wizards of all ages and sizes as they waited for the scarlet Hogwarts Express train to arrive. It had been 22 years since the Second Wizarding War and the Wizarding Community were enjoying the Peace and Security they were experiencing right now. However, everything had an expiration date and this was it.One part of the train burst open and three figures wearing elaborate silver masks and black robes stepped out. More explosions and soon, a horde of these figures stood before them."Your attention please." A booming voice came from one of the first figures to step out of the train and eyes turned towards him.He was tall and well-built as seen from the way his clothes clung to his body and he was the only one who wore a golden half-mask. They came to conclude that he was the leader of whatever this was.Before any of them could react, gunshots rang out of the platform and explosions sounded everywhere.*****Just a head's up! There will be a lot of swearing here so proceed with caution!
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Lavender Brown/Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Neville Longbottom, Pansy Parkinson/Theodore Nott
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. The Expiration Date

**Author's Note:**

> Good day everyone!
> 
> Just a quick note: this is my first fanfic and I intend to use this as a way to practice my English writing skills since I have written manuscripts in my mother language for 3 years(?) and I wanted to try writing in English again so apologies for grammar lapses and long-ass statements (if ever there are some).
> 
> Also, I'm a Dramione fan but I also want Draco on my own (who wouldn't?) so I'll just feature my second favorite HP ship which is Harmoine! Enjoy reading and please leave feedback or constructive criticism if needed.
> 
> Thank you so much!
> 
> Win
> 
> *****
> 
> This fic was inspired by Phoenix Rising written by Peanutbuttertoast. Check it out, it's pretty cool! 
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended.

**September 1, 2020**

Platform 9 ¾ was bustling with witches and wizards of all ages and sizes as they waited for the scarlet Hogwarts Express train to arrive. 

The widowed Draco Malfoy stood at the Hogwarts Express platform, hands inside the pocket of his trench coat, and beside him was his son, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. It has been a year since the death of Astoria Malfoy (née Greengrass) and they were slowly coping from the loss of the Malfoy matriarch.

At the age of 16, Scorpius was already a carbon copy of his father and one might mistake them as siblings with an entirely huge age gap. Draco had opted to keep his pale blonde hair long and secured in a low ponytail while his son opted to keep his hair short and parted to the side.

"Scorps!" A low voice came and a pair of grey eyes turned towards the direction of a young man walking towards them.

"Al!" Scorpius responded as a small smile appeared on his face upon seeing his best friend.

Albus Sirius Potter was a carbon copy of his father as well, same messy jet black hair, same green eyes, the only difference was that he had no scar on his forehead.

His family was just coming through the barrier and when Harry met Draco's gaze, he simply gave him a nod. 

It has been years since the war and even if their sons were best friends, there was still a fine line between them and no one was complaining. As long as they were civil with each other, it was enough.

The platform was getting crowded now as more people came through and Draco found himself retreating to his own world as he tried to block out various voices.

"Geez, Uncle Sully. You're testing my patience, aren't you?" A velvety voice came through and Draco found himself looking for the source as something about the voice sounded familiar.

"See that mail icon here? That's the Direct Message icon. You press it yes, so you can message me privately instead of replying to my threads and creating a long ass message board." The voice continued and Draco found himself staring at a strange couple sitting in one of the benches.

The man wore a blue Hawaiian shirt, cargo pants and sandals, and his auburn hair styled with the top thick and an undercut. Beside him was a young woman with a messy bun, some strands of her purple hair with green and blue streaks framing her round cheeks. She wore a V-neck blouse tucked into harem pants and combat boots and again, the feeling of familiarity settled within him. 

He noticed tattoos on her arms but he couldn't quite make out the design and probably feeling his gaze on her, she lifted her head and stared right at him. A look of recognition passed her face and she spoke to her companion before getting up and approaching the Malfoy head.

Draco sucked in a breath as he waited for her to approach and his heart stopped as he saw how intense her Dark Slate Blue eyes were.

_Get your arse together, Draco! You are a widowed 40-year-old man with a son! Why are you acting like a high school teenager? She's young enough to be your daughter!_

With a blush, Draco turned his gaze away from the woman and instead settled it on his son who was talking happily with Albus.

"Excuse me, Mr. Malfoy?" Her voice sent shivers down his spine and slowly he turned towards her, his heart-stopping once again when he saw her smile. It was a sweet smile and it really reached her eyes.

"Yes?" He asked casually, trying to rearrange his thoughts and features.

"Good day Mr. Malfoy. My name is Aratani Nukumori Fawley and I am Scorpius and Albus' DADA teacher. It's nice to finally meet you!" She introduced as she offered her hand towards him and Draco was able to see her tattoos in detail as he took her hand and shook it.

On her left arm was a tattoo of a koi swimming up a waterfall with lotus flowers floating in it and it curved towards the swell of her breast. Hiragana letters followed the curve of the koi and he was able to read the letters as Chuji (Loyalty), Tsuyosa (Strength), and Seiryoku (Power).

On her right arm was a tattoo of a dragon this time, flying downwards to her knuckles. The background composed of maple leaves flying through the wind and again, there were Hiragana letters resting in the middle of the lithe dragon’s body. He didn’t have to know how to read it to understand what it means because he had seen this before. The Hiragana spelled the family name, Shirai.

Her tattoos were colorful and visible and he was glad that Hogwarts held no prejudice against tattoos.

_Well, they did hire the worst DADA teachers before. This was nothing compared to that._

"Yes, it is a pleasure to meet you as well. My son learned a lot from your classes and for that, I am grateful, Professor Fawley." He mused, marveling at how warm her calloused hands felt against his cold ones.

"Please call me Ara, Mr. Malfoy, Professor Fawley is only reserved for my students." She mused as she let go and he felt the absence of her warmth almost immediately. 

_Why am I feeling this way towards her? I am already twice her age goddamn it!_

"Ara." He said testing the name and then all of a sudden images flashed before his mind's eye.

Him gazing out to the Black Lake, his calves submerged into the water. His long-sleeved shirt was open, his trousers were rolled up until his knees and he was smiling.

"You're smiling." A familiar voice came to his left and he turned towards it. He was with someone here but he couldn't see who it was clearly because their face was blurry.

"Yes, I am. It's because of you, Ara." He mused and did they just smile? 

He walked towards the person and slowly, he was able to make out her eyes which were a pretty dark slate blue. He reached out to her, cupping her face. She leaned closer and he was able to see full, red lips. 

"Draco." His name on her lips made him feel warm and tingly and he leaned closer as well.

"Draco." The smell of ylang-ylang made their way towards him.

"DRACO!" The panic in her tone seemed to break him from his reverie and he found himself back at the platform. He expected the usual blaring of the train horn but what he heard froze him to place. 

Explosions came from inside the train and a chorus of _Protego Maxima_ echoed around the platform. Aurors stood, wands ready and another explosion came.

One part of the train burst open and three figures wearing elaborate silver masks and black robes stepped out. More explosions and soon, a horde of these figures stood before them.

_No. It can't be. How are they back?_

He felt eyes boring through him and he felt himself shaking, memories of the past rushing back.

_No. No. NO!_

"Your attention please." A booming voice came from one of the first figures to step out of the train and eyes turned towards him.

He was tall and well-built as seen from the way his clothes clung to his body and he was the only one who wore a golden half-mask. They came to the conclusion that he was the leader of whatever this was.

"Who are you?" Hermione, the new Minister of Magic asked in her authoritative voice.

"Who I am do not matter for I am merely a messenger." The man replied as he snapped his fingers and a man appeared beside him. The man was tall and balding and he wore wizarding robes. He appeared to be petrified and Draco heard a loud gasp beside him.

"No. Ojisan!" Ara exclaimed, her grip on her wand tightening.

She stepped forward but Draco put a hand to stop her. 

"Don't, Ara. If you break through the barrier, the rest will collapse and you will endanger everyone around us." He warned, keeping his eyes on the masked man in front of him.

"Miss Aratani Nukumori Fawley, consider this an invitation. We heard of your powerful time magic and we are in desperate need of it. If you wish to see your grandfather again, surrender willingly to your manor. We shall be waiting for you there. If you refuse to do as you are told, I suggest you prepare yourselves for another war." The man announced and Draco noticed that Ara was trembling not in fear but in anger.

"Voldemort is already gone and the Death Eaters have been locked away in Azkaban. If you are not with them, then who are you with?" Harry shouted and the masked man gave a smirk.

"Auror Potter, I believe? No matter. Voldemort may be gone but as long as there is evil in this world, as long as our prejudices hold, war will be inevitable. You may have defeated the Dark Lord but another one will replace him and this cycle will continue. Now if you will excuse us." The man mused as he snapped his fingers once again and the Fawley Head vanished.

There was a resonating crack and then the screaming began.


	2. Meeting Ara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been an uneventful month for Harry and his friends. After Voldemort's defeat and the Death Eaters' capture, they thought they can finally be at peace. However, one night, a mermaid appears near the shores bearing Yakuza tattoos. 
> 
> Who is she and will she be an ally or an enemy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rushed the Department of Mysteries part because I can (hahaha) and also because I don't want to let it drag too long so please take it! I am also not entirely familiar with Yakuza and Japanese culture (I just use what I researched) so if there are discrepancies, let me know and apologies! 
> 
> Feedback is really appreciated!
> 
> Thank you so much!

**June 18, 1996 | Department of Mysteries, Ministry of Magic Whitehall**

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, was never really a runner. He was excellent in Quidditch but running? That was a whole new level. However, he might just find out if he was good at running as he was good at Quidditch as they tried to get some distance from the Death Eaters that followed behind them. In one corner of the lobby, he saw Sirius and Bellatrix facing off. Even at the intensity of his battle with Bellatrix, Sirius still had that devil-may-care grin on his face. 

Suddenly, green light shot out from Bellatrix’ wand and Harry felt an unsettling feeling in his gut. That was the same color of light he saw when Cedric Diggory died during the Triwizard Cup Tournament and he panicked.

Sirius managed to dodge it, the spell hitting instead another Death Eater and he immediately fell on the floor, pale and dead. Another flash of green light and Sirius was a bit too late to defend and Harry found himself shouting for his godfather. He turned towards him and gave him one last smile before accepting his fate.

However, before it could hit him, there was a loud CRACK! And the green light ricocheted, hitting Bellatrix straight to her chest instead. Time stood still as the rest of the Death Eaters watched the Dark Lord’s lieutenant as she fell to the floor with a loud thud, paler than ever. 

“Who dared to kill Bella?” a high, cold voice echoed across the hall and a tall, thin, and black-hooded figure appeared in the middle of the hall. His terrible snakelike face was white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupil eyes staring at Harry as he pointed his wand at him. Harry was frozen, quite unable to move. Beside Voldemort, Nagini slithered, keeping close to her master.

“You have irked me too often, for too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!” Voldermort shouted and before anyone could react, he was hit square on his chest and he fell into the floor with a loud thud. 

He heard people calling his name but he couldn’t respond as he was slowly spiraling into darkness and yet, he can still make out sounds.

“I’m sorry you had to go through with this. He wouldn’t die if you wouldn’t die first.” a velvety voice came from somewhere and the scent of ylang-ylang assaulted his nostrils. He tried to see who it was but only saw a flash of dark slate blue eyes and then, nothing. 

Back at the hall, everyone looked at the new group that joined their party. They all wore a white cloak with its hood up and a white half-mask. They circled around Harry Potter’s friends, providing them with a human shield. Voldemort and the Death Eaters did not even bother with introductions and instead hit them with an ‘Avada Kedavra’ in their direction only to have the spell rebound and hit their casters instead. Soon, almost all the Death Eaters were dead and Voldemort was furious. Really, really furious.

“THIS HAS GONE LONG ENOUGH! NAGINI, COME!” he shouted, about to escape when he noticed that the snake was no longer with him.

“Apologies, Voldemort, but this ends now.” the same velvety voice came and at the same time, Nagini’s head was thrown at Voldemort’s feet.

“No. No. NOOOOO!” Voldemort yelled in outrage.

“Game over, Voldemort. All your Horcruxes are gone and you will be too.” the white-cloaked figure continued and Voldemort gave one last shout of Avada Kedavra at the same time the white-cloaked figure shouted, “ _Resilit Incussus Maxima!”_

The green light once again ricocheted, growing bigger as it made its way back to its caster. Voldemort’s frame was engulfed with the green light and a shout of anguish echoed around the Hall. The light dispersed and Voldemort’s frame was revealed once again, only this time, he was already hunched and shriveling. 

Slowly he turned to ash and as he vanished, Harry jolted awake. Hermione immediately rushed to him, tackling him in a hug.

“You scared us, Harry! I thought we were going to lose you. I thought I was going to lose you.” she whispered between sobs and Harry tightened his hug around her. He looked at Ron who gave him a sad smile. 

“She chose you.” Ron mouthed and Harry looked at him in shock, before turning his gaze at Hermione.

She was clearly devastated and at first, he thought it was because she didn’t want to lose her best friend but the longer they held each other, the longer he was starting to see that she wasn’t just a best friend.

He remembered their first year when they found her at the Girl’s Bathroom being attacked by a troll. He was the one who felt that she was in danger. Also after they got out of Fluffy’s room, she was the first one he wanted to check.

When she was petrified during their second year, he was devastated and scared. What if she ended up like Moaning Myrtle? After she got out of the hospital wing, he was the first one she looked for, the only one she hugged.

Third-year, he was impressed at how quickly her mind worked and they knew how compatible they were when working together.

Fourth-year...she was the one who gave her all-out support to him, the one he always wanted to see before he took on a task, the one who cheered the loudest.

Fifth-year that was the deciding factor, especially when people accused him of lying about Voldemort returning, she was the one who believed in him, the one who stuck by his side (more frequently than Ron), the one who persuaded him to create Dumbledore’s Army and now, as she hugged him back fiercely, he was finally certain.

“Hermione.” he called out and she looked at him, puffy-eyed. He wanted to tell her how he felt but he was aware of their audience so he decided to wait. Instead of saying anything, he just kissed her forehead and hugged her again. 

Suddenly, he remembered the white-cloaked figure and he looked at them, about to thank them when they found that they were nowhere to be found.

“Professor Dumbledore, where are the people who helped us earlier?” he asked and Professor Dumbledore simply looked at him questioningly.

“Who?” he replied as he gave him a knowing look. He immediately understood what he meant. He also looked at the rest of his friends and they seem to share the same understanding. 

Suddenly, there was a loud _pop!_ And Aurors appeared in the middle of the room, wands at the ready. They started rounding up the rest of the Death Eaters who didn’t perish, Lucius Malfoy being one of them. 

The next day, Voldemort’s death was all over the newspapers, the Death Eaters’ capture as well and every article he read had the same ending, _“It is with this event that we hope that our Wizarding World will finally be at peace and that our prejudices will be forgotten.”_

*****

**July 28, 1996 | The Burrow, 9 PM**

"Come on Harry! Don’t chicken out on me now!" Ginny Weasley shouted as Harry Potter raced against her, trying to catch the makeshift snitch before she did. They just finished dinner and was hanging outside of The Burrow when Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny decided to play a quick game of Quidditch. 

Harry and Ginny were neck-in-neck and behind them, Ron and Hermione were trying to catch up. They were now at the shore with Harry getting closer to the snitch when Hermione gave a gasp and he immediately looked back to find her flying down towards a body.

Shocked, Harry followed in after her, Ron and Ginny not far behind.

By the shore, they saw a mermaid lying face down on the sand, a harpoon lodged to her sides, her midnight blue hair resting on her side and her arms covered with sand. They took notice of the full tattoo she had in the middle of her back which composed of an oni mask with a snake coiled around it, peonies spilling from one side of its mouth and a chrysanthemum peeking through one of its eyes. Perched on top of it was a phoenix with its wings enclosing it in a circle as if protecting the mask. For the background, they took note of tidal waves and cherry blossoms floating in it. It was colorful and vivid and they were entranced by it.

Suddenly, a groan came from the mermaid and Hermione dislodged the harpoon carefully and Ginny cut a piece of fabric from her jeans to cover the wound. 

“Quick! Get Bill here!” Ginny shouted and Ron and Harry rushed back to the house to get Bill.

Within minutes, Bill entered the house, Harry and Ron following behind.

He carried the girl in his arms, her midnight blue hair covering her face. He moved it away from her face and he couldn't help but marvel at how vivid it was. Her toned, fair arms hung limply to her sides and they were able to make out more tattoos peeking through the dried sand she was covered with.

"Bill!" Everyone in the room exclaimed as he went in and laid the girl on the floor after Molly conjured up a cloth big enough to hold her.

"What happened?" Arthur asked as Molly knelt beside the unconscious girl and started cleaning her up. Her hair frizzled up and they cast a spell to smooth it to check if her scalp had injuries.

"Mermaid Hunters, I believe. When they found her she was still in her mermaid form so I quickly used a drying spell and she reverted back to her human form." Suddenly he blushed but continued, "I had to transfigure some seaweed into a dress to cover her up and she was badly covered with cuts on her stomach and face. I healed most of them before bringing her here." Bill answered as he sat on the couch, obviously tired.

They looked at the girl again and were able to see her round cheeks, her aristocratic nose, her full lips (which were turning blue so a warming spell was cast as well) and her long, thick lashes. Molly lifted her left arm where they saw another tattoo and they marveled at the design. It was that of a koi swimming up a waterfall with lotus flowers floating in it and it curved towards the swell of her breast. Hiragana letters followed the curve of the koi and try as they might, they couldn't read it since they were not familiar with Hiragana.

Molly then looked at the tattoo on her right arm and it was a tattoo of a dragon this time, flying downwards to her knuckles. The background composed of maple leaves flying through the wind and again, there were Hiragana letters resting in the middle of the lithe dragon’s body. They didn’t have to know how to read it to understand what it means because they have seen this before. The Hiragana spelled the family name, Shirai.

The Weasley patriarch swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.

"Merlin's Beard, Molly, you know this tattoo don't you?" Arthur mused as he looked at his wife worriedly.

"The tattoo on her right arm is the Shirai seal, isn't it? How did she end up here? And in this state?" Molly asked as she looked at the girl worriedly. She was still young and to see her being brought here dirty and unconscious made her feel heavy, even if her family was a big deal.

"She doesn't look Japanese though?" Ginny mused. 

"Maybe she took after her mom? Some Japanese prefer to have foreigners as wives or husbands you know." Fleur exclaimed, her French accent thick.

"I'm sorry, Shirai? Are they pureblood too? It's my first time hearing that name." Harry mused and Hermione answered immediately.

"The Shirai family are not just Purebloods, Harry, they are also the second most powerful Yakuza-or in our terms-mobster, family in Japan. People have speculated that they are behind the economic stagnation that Japan is experiencing now." Hermione mused as she looked at the girl in front of her. She was about their age, that much she could tell and she had the sudden urge to act motherly towards her.

"Bloody hell...is it safe to bring her in? What if her family accuses us of kidnapping her? Bloody hell! I don't want to die yet!" Ron mused and Hermione shot him a glare. She was about to speak when a low but pleasant voice beat her to it.

"Don' worry, we won' fuckin' kill ya unless there's a reason ta do so." All eyes trained to the Shirai princess who was already sitting up.

"Ah, Miss Shirai. I am Arthur Weasley, the current family head. Welcome to our humble home." Arthur introduced, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.

She looked at him, her dark slate blue gaze intense, a sad smile on her face. Harry looked at her, trying to remember where he’d seen those eyes.

"Thank you for welcoming me to your house, Mr. Weasley. My name is Aratani Shirai but please call me Ara and I apologize for disturbing your peace. May I ask to stay here for a bit until I have replenished my magic? After that, I shall take my leave." She mused, her English spoken fluently without any accent and Bill pointed out this observation.

"Your English is perfect without any hint of an accent. It is as if you are a natural-born English. How is that possible?" He asked and his parents shot him a glare. Realizing that his statement sounded offensive, Bill mumbled an apology.

"There is no need to apologize. You did nothing wrong. As for my English, my father is from a noble family and my mother studied here at one point so they were able to teach me. My brother, Cassius, his English is better than mine and I really hoped he would be joining me here but he decided to study the uhm...family business instead." She explained and they all nodded, satisfied with her answer. 

Something still felt unsettling and Hermione decided to address it.

"I do not wish to pry but...how did you end up here in the first place and in this state?" She asked straightforward and the Shirai Princess smiled at her.

"My mother decided to transfer me to Hogwarts after an...altercation in my old school and while on the journey, thieves managed to take over the ship I was on. When they recognized me as the Shirai Princess, they immediately knocked me out with the intention to put me into an auction. It was a good thing I only brought a small amount of money with me and I was wandless. I managed to escape them and turned to the sea as my means of travel but some hunters managed to overpower me and...fuck!" Everyone jumped when she shouted and she was about to stand when a sharp pain stabbed her from her sides. 

"What the fuck? Did I just break my fuckin' ribs?" She exclaimed and Molly wanted to scold her for her language but decided not to. Instead, she knelt beside her and started healing her.

"With your state, I don't think you would be able to survive out there. Please stay the night here and you can use one of our owls to send your family a message." Molly mused.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay. You have shown me kindness despite knowing my heritage and for that, I promise to protect everyone here with my life." She announced and everyone gaped at her in shock.

Before any of them could protest, a warm feeling enveloped them, enclosing them in a soothing hug and they felt her magic swirling around them. There was a loud pop and then the room went still. 

"W-what was that?" Harry asked, dumbfounded and she smiled at them. 

"It's a protection charm. My family specializes in protection charms since we have a lot of members so yeah, those who would try to hurt you would have the pain returned a thousandfold." She mused and they couldn't help but smile at that.

"Once again, I am grateful. I will be in your care." She mused as she gave a bow.

Arthur introduced the rest of his family (even if she already knew them but she allowed him to do it anyway) and after that, she sent an owl to her family to inform her that she was safe and currently under the care of the Weasley family.

A reply came after an hour and she hurriedly read it. It was a good thing everyone was already in bed when she received it because she didn't fancy being asked questions.

As soon as she finished reading the letter, she burned it in the fire that was roaring loud in the fireplace.

Sure that only ashes were left, she made her way back to Ginny's room and prepared for bed.

*****

**August 03, 1996 | The Burrow, 9 AM**

_"Listen to me, Ara. You don't have to do this. Yes, your magic is the strongest among us but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice yourself. We'll figure something else."_

_"Whaddya mean I kenna fuckin’ do this, Uncle Sully? They killed almost everyone and I ain’t just gonna sit here and wait! This is the only way we can prevent this, do ya understand?"_

_"Ara, no. If you overexert your magic you'll end up cursing yourself. Please...I can't lose you too!"_

_"NO. NO. NOOOOOO!"_

“NOOOOOO!” Aratani jolted from her makeshift bed, lungs burning and covered in a cold sweat. 

“Ara?” a sleepy voice came to her right and she looked at Hermione who was already sitting up on the bed, rubbing her eyes. Her hair was disheveled and she gave a yawn. It had been six days since she was welcomed into the Weasley household and she immediately managed to create a bond between Hermione, Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, and of course, Harry who treated her like his younger sister. Ron still kept his distance but he was responsive to her if needed.

Beside Hermione, Ginny was already stirring from her sleep. Since her bed was only good for two people, Ara volunteered to sleep on the floor and she believed that that was the right decision because she could have woken them from her thrashing.

“Good morning Herms! Did I wake you?” she asked cheerfully, hiding her lack of sleep.

“No, it’s my wand. I set an alarm since Mr. Weasley did say that we have to be early just in case the booklists are delivered today and we'll be heading to Diagon Alley immediately,” she answered and Ara gave a smile of relief.

“I see. Well then, shall we get ready?” the Shirai Princess mused and Ginny elicited a sleepy groan.

“Oh Merlin no, you’re one of them,” she mumbled in her pillow and the girls raised their eyebrows.

“One of who?” she asked, confused. Ginny looked up from her pillow and shot her a glare.

“One of the morning people.” she finished before she buried her face under the covers again. Hermione and Ara shared a laugh before they started preparing for the day.

As quickly as she could, she showered and changed, her outfit composed of a leather jacket, a tank top, black pants, and red and black Victorian style boots. She decided to put her hair in double braids to keep them from flying around her because she knew they would be walking a lot. Satisfied with her look, she walked towards Ginny and Hermione who were waiting for her before they came down to the kitchen for breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by Phoenix Rising written by Peanutbuttertoast. Check it out, it's pretty cool!
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended. Also, there are some parts of the book that I would be replicating so yeah, just giving everyone a head's up. I don't want to be charged with Plagiarism ehehehe.


	3. A Brief Glimpse of the Mahoutokoro Houses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been days since Ara was adopted by the Weasley family and they are now waiting for their Hogwarts letters to arrive. They have a conversation about the Mahoutokoro houses while having breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the 100 hits! For that, I will be posting two chapters :) 
> 
> I don't have a fixed update schedule since I would be updating every time I reach 100 hits! So if you are enjoying the fic, let your friends know so we can have an earlier chapter release. Thank you so much!
> 
> Also, I got the house information through this site https://mahotokoro.fandom.com/wiki/Mahoutokoro_(school) so check it out if you want to see more of Mahoutokoro!

_“Remember your goal, Ara and focus on it. Do not worry about any of the Horcruxes or of killing Voldemort, leave it to us.”_

_“I will. Please keep each other safe as well.”_

_“We will.”_

_“Come back to us in one piece, alright, Ara?”_

“Ara?” Brown eyes looked at me worriedly and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Molly, but what did you say? I think my mind is still asleep.” I asked as I spooned another helping of porridge into my mouth

“I understand dear, the past few weeks have been exhausting, right?” Aunt Molly mused as she took a sip of her tea and I simply nodded.

“Exhausting indeed. By the way, Ara, did you have a hard time falling asleep again? You look horrible.” Ginny commented as she turned her gaze towards me and I rolled my eyes at her.

“Thank you for the honest observation, Ginevra. You of all people should know that it is quite rude to tell a person they look horrible.” I countered, giving her a pointed glare and Ginny simply shrugged her shoulders.

“Somebody had to tell you, you know. I’m just being a kind friend.” Ginny said nonchalantly and I threw crumpled tissue paper in her direction.

“Rude!” Ginny mused as she gave a grin and threw it back at me.

I was about to throw the tissue paper again when Aunt Molly cleared her throat and I turned my attention towards her.

“Oops, apologies, Aunt Molly.” 

“It’s alright dear but Ginny is right. Why aren’t you getting enough sleep?” she asked in her motherly voice and I blushed.

_It’s because I’m worried that I won’t be able to complete my mission. It’s because I’m scared that I might change a lot in the future. Because I feel so alone even if I’m surrounded by everyone._

Those were the words I wanted to say but instead, I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Uhm...I guess I’m just a bit excited. I mean, I’m going to start at a new school that’s entirely different from what I grew up in and well…” 

“Don’t worry, you have us, Ara. Even if you get sorted in a different house we’ll still make it work, yeah?” Harry assured me and everyone nodded in agreement. I gave him a surprised look, searching for sincerity and I was glad it was there.

“Unless you’re Slytherin and get mixed up with the wrong people…” Ron mumbled under his breath but I heard it loud and clear.

“Why, what’s wrong with Slytherin?” I asked innocently (even if I was familiar with the prejudice) and the tip of Ron’s ears turned the same shade as his hair.

“It’s the house where all the stuck up Pureblood gits reside. We do not recommend.” Ginny mused.

“Oh. I didn’t know about that. Hogwarts is really different from Mahoutokoro huh?” I mused as I took another spoonful of porridge. _Looking back, I really miss studying at Mahoutokoro..._

“Oh yeah, we’re curious about your former school. What’s it like? You never mentioned it until now.” Hermione asked as she sipped her tea and I smiled at her, taking a sip from my own cup and then I started speaking.

“Well for one, we do not encourage House Separation. Our houses simply give us an identity but that’s it. Our great hall is huge but instead of having long tables per house, it’s all made up of round tables that can seat 8 to 10 people and anyone can share it, regardless of which house you belong to. Day class students can grab a late breakfast if they’re early enough but the peak hours would be during lunchtime. Breakfast for Boarding students starts at 6 AM and ends until 10 while Dinner starts at 6 PM until 9 and then they’ll close the kitchen.” I started and they listened to me attentively.

“So what are your houses then?” Harry followed up as he ate another piece of toast.

“Well we have my former house, which is the Seiran house and our common room is located at the castle observatory. People sorted in this house are Bold, Clever, Imaginative, Intuitive, Wise and Witty and most of us excel in Arithmancy. Another one would be the Yosamu house and their common room is located outside and protected with barrier enchantments but you can clearly see the sky whenever you look up. People sorted here are Adaptable, Idealistic, Optimistic, Patient and Protective and most of them excel in Divination.” I continued and at the mention of Divination, Hermione crumpled her nose and that earned a laugh from everyone in the table.

“Well, one thing is for sure, I will not be sorted to Yosamu. Please continue, Ara.” Hermione mused with a dismissive wave of her hand. 

I nodded, smiling and continued, “Next we have Toppuu and their common room faces the cliffside, overlooking the sea. They’re Appreciative and a perfectionist but they can sometimes be airheaded. They can also be vindictive and will easily cut you off if you betrayed their trust but overall, they're really nice people. They also excel in Alchemy. Finally, we have the Shunrai House and their common room is an awesome planetarium. Shunrai students are confident and good-natured people but they can sometimes be unpredictable so expect surprises from them. Since they have a planetarium within reach, most Shunrai students excel in Astronomy so yeah, that’s all of our houses.”

As I finished, I took another sip from my hot chocolate (with two spoonfuls of honey and half a cup of milk).

Suddenly, there was a tap on the glass and Pig, the Weasley family owl made its way into the dining table. 

Aunt Molly took the familiar Hogwarts letters and gave it to Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and then finally, me. 

“You got in!” Ginny mused excitedly as I showed her my letter and a huge smile broke through. 

“I did!” I replied and even Hermione gave me a hug. 

“This is wonderful! Even Harry was named Quidditch Captain. That gives you equal status with prefects!” Hermione mused happily as she hugged Harry as well, this time lingering longer. I looked at Ron and Ginny and they seemed unphased by the recent development.

“You can use our special bathroom now and everything!” 

“Wow, I remember when Charlie wore one of these,” Ron mused as he examined the badge with glee. 

“Harry, this is so cool, you’re my Captain — if you let me back on the team, I suppose, haha.”

“Well, I don’t suppose we can put off a trip to Diagon Alley much longer now you’ve got these,” Aunt Molly sighed as she looked down Ron’s booklist. 

“We’ll go today...let’s just see if your dad can come with us. I thought with Voldemort’s death, we can finally be a normal family again but your dad’s promotion really kept him busy huh?” she mused as she looked at the family clock where pictures of the Weasleys pointed to where they were. Right now, Charlie, Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George’s arrow were pointing at “Work”.

“Oh right, are we going to visit Fred and George’s shop as well? I mean, you’ve been mentioning it a lot of times…” I mused as I looked at Ron and he grinned.

“Yes, we will.” they all replied at once. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by Phoenix Rising written by Peanutbuttertoast. Check it out, it's pretty cool!
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended. Also, there are some parts of the book that I would be replicating so yeah, just giving everyone a head's up. I don't want to be charged with Plagiarism ehehehe.


	4. Visiting Diagon Alley with the Weasleys!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ara and the Weasleys finally visit Diagon Alley. Here they meet the Malfoys and visit Fred and George's shop. Ara also receives her new wand.
> 
> Will things go well?

After breakfast, we got out of the house with our cloaks on since the weather suddenly felt overcast and murky. Outside, one of the special Ministry of Magic cars was awaiting us in the front yard.

“It’s good Dad can get us these again,” Ron said appreciatively, stretching luxuriously as the car moved smoothly away from the Burrow, Bill and Fleur waving from the kitchen window. 

We all sat in roomy comfort in the wide backseat. 

“Don’t get used to it, it’s only because of Harry,” Uncle Arthur said over his shoulder. 

He and Aunt Molly were in front with the Ministry driver; the front passenger seat stretched into what resembled a two-seater sofa. 

“He’s been given top-grade security status.” He continued and I raised an eyebrow. 

“No offense, Uncle Arthur but what for? I mean, Voldemort is already dead?” I asked and he nodded.

“Yes he is, but as long as his followers are still at large, well, we can’t risk anything.” he continued and I simply nodded. The rest of the trip was silent.

“Here you are, then,” the driver said, a surprisingly short while later, speaking for the first time as he slowed in Charing Cross Road and stopped outside the Leaky Cauldron. 

“I'm going to wait for you, any idea how long you’ll be?” 

“A couple of hours, I expect,” Uncle Arthur mused as he peered out of the window.

“Ah, good, he’s here!” I peered through the window as well and my heart leaped. A gigantic, black-bearded man I recognized as Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper stood outside wearing a long beaver skin coat. 

“Harry!” he boomed as he swept him into a bone-crushing hug as soon as he stepped out. 

“Buckbeak — Witherwings, I mean — yeh should see him, Harry, he’s so happy ter be back in the open air —” 

“Glad he’s pleased,” Harry said grinning as he massaged his ribs. “By the way Hagrid, let me introduce someone. She’ll be staying with us this year.” He continued as he gestured me to come out and I did. 

I looked at the half-giant in front of me and I couldn’t help but gape at him.

“H-Hi. My name is Aratani Yamaguchi Shirai but please call me Ara.” I introduced as I offered my hand to him. Instead of taking it and shaking it, he gave me a hug.

“Nice ta meet ya! Any friend of Harry’s is a friend of mine as well.” he mused as he put me down and I simply grinned at him. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny stepped out of the vehicle as well and Hagrid gave them a hug too.

“Let’s get goin’ then — after yeh, Molly, Arthur —” 

With that, we passed through the bar and to the brick wall where Hagrid tapped his pink umbrella. At once, the wall broke away to reveal the colorful, glittering window displays of spellbooks, potion ingredients, and cauldrons that flanked the narrow streets of Diagon Alley.

There were a lot of people here and I was overwhelmed by the noises. I wondered, what if Voldemort didn’t die? Will Diagon Alley still be like this? Or will it be grey and filled with boarded-up stores?

“I think we’d better do Madam Malkin’s first, Hermione wants new dress robes and Ron’s showing too much ankle in his school robes, and you need new ones too, Harry, you’ve grown so much...Ara, what about you?” she asked, turning her gaze at me.

“Ah yes, my grandfather already informed the seamstress…” I mused, smiling at her and she smiled back. 

“Come on then everyone,” she said excitedly.

“Molly, it doesn’t make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin’s,” Uncle Arthur mused. 

“Why don’t those four go with Hagrid, and we can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone’s schoolbooks?” 

“Yes, I think that will work. Hagrid, watch over them for us yeah?” she mused with a nod.

“Don’ fret, they’ll be fine with me, Molly,” Hagrid said soothingly, waving his hand.

She scurried off towards Flourish and Blotts with Uncle Arthur and Ginny while we set off for Madam Malkin’s. 

“Migh’ be a bit of a squeeze in there with all of us,” Hagrid said as he stopped outside Madam Malkin’s and bent down to peer through the window. 

“I’ll stand guard outside, all right?” He offered and we nodded, entering the little shop together. At first glance, it appeared empty, but no sooner had the door swung shut behind us that we heard a voice issuing from behind a rack of dress robes in spangled green and blue. 

“. . . not a child, in case you haven’t noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone.” Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a look and I raised an eyebrow at them. 

“What’s the matter?” I asked and it was Hermione who answered.

“Hear that obnoxious voice? That’s Draco Malfoy.” she mused and I nodded in understanding. _Ah, I see..._

“Maybe your mother just wanted to spend time with you dear? With the Dark Lord’s death, it would be nice to reconnect with your families right?” a voice came and I concluded that that was Madam Malkin.

“Watch where you’re sticking that pin, will you!” the same obnoxious voice came and a teenage boy with a pale, pointed face and white-blond hair appeared from behind the rack, wearing a handsome set of dark green robes that glittered with pins around the hem and the edges of the sleeves. He strode to the mirror and examined himself. It was a few moments before he noticed us reflected over his shoulder. _Wow, he really looks like his dad. How sad. But then...he also looks like the ferret I once saw at a pet shop._

At the sight of us, his slate grey eyes narrowed. 

“If you’re wondering what the smell is, Mother, a Mudblood just walked in,” Draco’s voice came again and I felt Hermione tense.

“Excuse me? What did ya fuckin’ say ta ma friend, ya fuckin’ ferret?” Before anyone can stop me, I found myself walking towards him. 

I always consider myself level-headed and reasonable but I was never okay with people talking shit about me or of others and sometimes, I act impulsively.

“I don’t think there’s any need for language like that!” Madam Malkin came scurrying out from behind the clothes rack holding a tape measure and a wand. 

“You shut up!” Draco sneered, glaring at Madam Malkin as he stepped towards me.

“Oh, and who might you be? Another Mudblood-loving bi--” he wasn’t able to continue what he was about to say because I had driven my knee to his stomach, causing him to fall with a sharp hiss on the floor.

“DRACO!” The Malfoy matriarch strolled out from behind the clothes rack when he saw Draco on the floor and she fixed me with a steely gaze.

“You! How dare you attack my son!” she said as she pointed her wand at me, eyes feral. I couldn’t help myself and grinned, stepping closer to the tip of her wand. 

Her eyes widened in shock but she didn’t pull back and instead pushed the tip closer to my jugular.

“I will not hesitate to kill you right now!” she said menacingly and my grin widened.

“Oh please do. Once my grandfather hears about how Narcissa Malfoy killed his one and only granddaughter, your husband will come home to you, piece by piece. Once he runs out of parts, your dear son will be next.” I threatened, tone calm and cold and her hand trembled.

“W-Who are you?” she asked and I turned my attention towards Madam Malkin, completely ignoring her question.

“Good day Madam Malkin. I’m here to pick up an order for Aratani Yamaguchi Shirai? I believe my grandfather flooed you yesterday?” I said cooly and Madam Malkin paled but nodded.

“A-ah yes, Miss Shirai, your robes are at the back. I’ll get it now,” she said, excusing herself and I turned my gaze back to the Malfoy Matriarch.

I knew that what I was doing was wrong but being called something else without actually looking at the person never sat well with me. Hermione was a bright witch but she was usually overlooked because of her blood status and that was totally unfair. I was just giving them a dose of their own medicine.

“Yamaguchi Shirai...you...you’re…” Narcissa stuttered and I gave her a honeyed smile.

“Yes, indeed. I didn’t mean to threaten you, Aunt Narcissa but your son was the first to attack us by calling my dear friend a Mudblood. We all know that that is the lowest insult one can ever use especially for someone as skilled as her. I hope you understand my sentiments? Prejudice is what started the war and I intend to eradicate it...by all means.” I continued in the strongest and most authoritative voice I can. 

She blanched at the statement and before she can say anything, Madam Malkin had returned from the back and she handed me a parcel.

“Thank you so much, Madam Malkin. However, I think you were attending to someone else before we came here?” I mused and she nodded before turning towards the Malfoy heir and matriarch. A shop assistant came towards us, leading us away from the Malfoys. 

After an hour or so, we had already paid for everything and went outside, the Malfoys' gazes following us out.

"Bloody hell, Ara. That took a lot of nerve to say that." Hermione mused and I grinned, finding her swearing adorable.

"I thought that they would tone down their pride a notch after Voldemort's defeat but guess I was wrong." Harry mused and I noticed how his hand brushed Hermione's before he pocketed them.

“Got ev’rything?” Hagrid asked brightly when we reappeared at his side. Aunt Molly, Uncle Arthur, and Ginny appeared as well, all clutching heavy packages of books. 

“Everyone all right?” Aunt Molly asked as she handed me my book set. 

“Got your robes? Right then, we can pop in at the Apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George’s — stick close, now. . . .” 

Neither Harry nor Ron bought any ingredients at the Apothecary, seeing that they were no longer studying Potions, but both bought large boxes of owl nuts for Hedwig and Pig at Eeylops Owl Emporium. After that, we headed farther along the street in search of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes, the joke shop run by Fred and George. 

“Whoa,” Ron mused as he stopped in his tracks. The shops here were vivid, that much I noticed but Fred and George’s windows hit the eye like a firework display. Casual passersby were looking back over their shoulders at the windows and a few rather stunned-looking people had actually come to a halt, transfixed. The left-hand window was dazzlingly full of an assortment of goods that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked.

The right-hand window was covered with a gigantic poster and emblazoned with flashing yellow letters were the words: WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO? YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO — THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT’S GRIPPING THE NATION! 

I started to laugh and I heard a moan beside me. I looked around to see Aunt Molly gazing, dumbfounded, at the poster. Her lips moved silently, mouthing the name “U-No-Poo.” 

“This is brilliant!” Harry and Ron were also laughing as they led the way into the shop. It was packed with customers that I couldn’t even get near the shelves. 

My gaze wandered around, looking up at the boxes piled to the ceiling which read Skiving Snack boxes. I turned my attention to one battered box on the left of the shelf and read Nosebleed Nougat. _This must be one of the most popular snacks!_

With that, I secured some for me before I turned to look at the other products. There were bins full of trick wands, the cheapest merely turning into rubber chickens or pairs of briefs when waved, the most expensive beating the unwary user around the head and neck, and boxes of quills, which came in Self-Inking, Spell-Checking, and Smart-Answer varieties. 

‘Patented Daydream Charms...’ ” Hermione had managed to squeeze through to a large display near the counter and was reading the information on the back of a box bearing a highly colored picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who was standing on the deck of a pirate ship. 

“ ‘One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens.’ You know,” Hermione mused as she looked at us, “that really is extraordinary magic!” 

“For that, Hermione,” a voice came from behind us, “you can have one for free.” 

A beaming Fred (maybe? I’m not sure...) stood before us, wearing a set of magenta robes that clashed magnificently with his flaming hair. 

“How are you, Harry?” They shook hands and his gaze turned to me.

“Oh? You’re a new face here. Where did our mum pick you up?” he teased and I smiled at him.

“More like reeled in, if you please. The name’s Aratani Yamaguchi Shirai.” I introduced and I saw a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Blimey mum, you miss our troublemaking so much you brought in someone more troubling?” he mused and Aunt Molly gave him a stern look.

“Tch. Don’t compare ma trouble makin’ ta yers. Am much much worse.” I grinned and a wide smile appeared on his face.

“I like you, little yakuza. Come on, I’ll give you a tour along with Harry.” With that, we followed Fred toward the back of the shop where we saw a stand of card and rope tricks. 

“Muggle magic tricks!” Fred said happily as he pointed them out. “For freaks like our Dad, you know, who love Muggle stuff. It’s not a big earner, but we do fairly steady business, they’re great novelties… Oh, here’s George...” Fred’s twin shook Harry’s hand energetically before he looked at me, eyebrows raised.

“Fred! What did I tell you about kidnapping kids?” George scolded and Fred introduced me to him. His reaction was similar to Fred’s.

“Giving them the tour? Come through the back then both of you, that’s where we’re making the real money — pocket anything and you’ll pay in more than Galleons!” he added warningly to a small boy who hastily whipped his hand out of the tub labeled edible dark marks.

They toured us both before sending us back to the main part of the shop where we found Hermione and Ginny still poring over the Patented Daydream Charms. 

“Haven’t you girls found our special WonderWitch products yet?” Fred mused. 

“Follow me, ladies...” Near the window was an array of violently pink products around which a cluster of excited girls was giggling enthusiastically. 

Hermione and Ginny both hung back, looking wary. 

“There you go,” Fred said proudly. “Best range of love potions you’ll find anywhere.” 

I stepped closer to it and I smelled bubblegum in one of the open bottles.

Ginny raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Do they work?” she asked. 

“Certainly they work, for up to twenty-four hours at a time depending on the weight of the boy in question —” Fred started.

“— and the attractiveness of the girl,” George continued, reappearing suddenly at their side. 

“But we’re not selling them to our sister,” he added, becoming suddenly stern, “not when she’s already got about five boys on the go from what we’ve —” 

“Whatever you’ve heard from Ron is a big fat lie,” Ginny said calmly, leaning forward to take a small pink pot off the shelf. 

“What’s this?” 

“Guaranteed ten-second pimple vanisher,” Fred said. 

“Excellent on everything from boils to blackheads, but don’t change the subject. Are you or are you not currently going out with a boy called Dean Thomas?” 

“Yes, I am,” Ginny mused. “And last time I looked, he was definitely one boy, not five. What are those?” 

She was pointing at a number of round balls of fluff in shades of pink and purple, all rolling around the bottom of the cage and emitting high-pitched squeaks. 

“Pygmy Puffs,” George stated. “Miniature puffskeins, we can’t breed them fast enough. So what about Michael Corner?” 

“I dumped him, he was a bad loser,” said Ginny, putting a finger through the bars of the cage and watching the Pygmy Puffs crowd around it. We milled around for a bit before deciding to leave.

Suddenly I remembered that I didn’t have my wand yet, having it broken during the Battle at the Hall and I immediately apologized to Uncle Arthur and Aunt Molly for my carelessness.

They simply nodded and started heading towards the Leaky Cauldron. Ginny decided to accompany me and I finally came through Ollivander’s wand shop where a kindly man greeted us from the counter.

“Ah Miss Weasley, what brings you here? Did you break your wand? I hope you’re not following your brother’s footsteps?” he asked as the door closed behind us and Ginny shook her head.

“No, not really Mr. Ollivander. I came here with a friend. She broke her wand while on a journey from Mahoutokoro.” Ginny answered and Mr. Ollivander turned his gaze towards me.

“Ah, I see. What is your name, my dear?” Mr. Ollivander asked and I gave him a smile.

“My name is Aratani Yamaguchi Shirai. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ollivander.” I introduced, holding out my hand and he took it, giving it a firm shake.

“Ah, your hands are rough, my dear. I believe you are used to physical exertion?” he inquired and I simply nodded.

“Yes, indeed. My mother and my uncle taught me ways to defend myself without magic and uhm...well, this is the result of their training.” I exclaimed and Mr. Ollivander nodded once again.

“So I see. Well then, let’s see which wand suits you best, yes?” he continued as he pulled out boxes from their shelves and placed them in front of me.

“Alder Wood with Dragonstring Core, 12 ½ inches. Perfect for non-verbal spells.” he mused as I picked up the first one. I tried a simple _Aguamenti_ and a highly-pressurized water stream burst through the tip of the wand, dousing all of us. 

Mr. Ollivander waved his hand and the water stopped flowing. He cast a drying spell and I immediately returned the wand to its box.

“Alright, too strong. Next, we have Ebony with Unicorn core, again 12 ½ inches. Perfect for Transfiguration and combative magic. If you use this with your combat skills, I think it would yield wonderful results.” Mr. Ollivander continued as he picked up the wand and handed it to me. As soon as the wand touched my fingertips, a flash of red light shot through the tip and one of Mr. Ollivander’s windows broke. 

I mumbled an apology and quickly returned the wand. Once again with a wave of his hand, the window repaired itself.

“Alright, this one. I’m sure this is for you.” Mr. Ollivander exclaimed as he handed me the last box and I slowly opened it. 

I studied the handle and saw that scales were engraved into them and I had to suppress a smile. _Ah yes, it would appear that my mermaid heritage will never leave me._

“Cherry wood with phoenix heartstring core. 14 ½ inch, surprisingly swishy flexibility. People with cherry wood wands are highly regarded in your former school, aren’t they, Miss Shirai? May I know what your wand used to be?” Mr. Ollivander asked as I took out the wand.

“English Oak Wood with Dragon Heartstring Core. That used to be my wand.” I replied as I gave an experimental flick and at once, I felt the familiar warm tingling in my fingertips. The magic flowed steadily through my veins and I gave a wide smile. 

Mr. Ollivander and Ginny grinned as well. Satisfied with our purchase, I decided to celebrate by buying us some ice cream.

We were walking towards the shop when red orbs flew into our direction and we jumped to the sides to avoid getting hit. A tall, pale man ran towards us, brandishing his wand like a sword, sending magic everywhere. 

He wore ragged clothes and he carried a huge satchel, keeping it close to his chest.

"That's not his wand!" I exclaimed as I ran towards the man, meeting him headfirst. 

"ARA!" Ginny's shrill voice echoed around the narrow streets of Diagon Alley and all eyes turned to us. 

The Weasleys (plus Harry and Hermione) dashed towards us.

"ARA!" Uncle Arthur shouted at the same time I jumped up and aimed a well-timed kick to the thief's temple. He immediately dropped to the ground unconscious before anyone can draw their wands and I landed behind him unscathed.

Jaws dropped at the display and in a few minutes, Aurors appeared, taking the man away. They spoke with me before leaving and I joined the Weasleys after.

"Blimey, that was Calum Baxter! What's a squib doing with a wand and stealing purses?" Uncle Arthur mused as he cast a shrinking spell on my trunk and I gave him a grateful smile.

"Maybe he just wanted to live dangerously you know? Live life to the fullest?" I quipped as I cocked my head to the side. That earned a few giggles from the family and I beamed.

"Anyway, were you able to get all the things you needed sweetie?" Aunt Molly asked and I shook my head.

"Ice cream. I wasn't able to get it. Ginny and I were supposed to buy it when that happened so...can we all go there, please? My treat!" I requested and almost everyone cheered, with the exception of Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur.

"Are you sure dear? You don't have to do this…" Aunt Molly whispered.

"It's fine, Aunt Molly. Think of it as my thanks for allowing me to stay with you." I answered as we went inside the ice cream shop. 

When we got out, it was already late afternoon and everybody was ready to go home. We started walking back towards the Leaky Cauldron and the Ministry car we rode on earlier was already waiting for us.

We rode in silence, obviously tired and I didn’t mind it one bit. There were no questions asked and I was glad for the silence. I was taking this moment now because I knew that once we return to school, everything will change.

Past and future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended. Also, there are some parts of the book that I would be replicating so yeah, just giving everyone a head's up. I don't want to be charged with Plagiarism ehehehe.
> 
> Also, check my Twitter account if you want, https://twitter.com/win_drabbles as I might be posting updates and fanfic art there (maybe?) but I won't promise anything so uhm...yeah. Thank you for reading! Kudos and feedback is appreciated :)


	5. All Aboard the Hogwarts Express!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The news about Voldemort's defeat caused such a buzz in the Wizarding World and everyone can't help but stare at the Heroes of the Ministry. Ara is also thrust into the spotlight. How will they get through this year when people are already staring as they board the train?

**September 01, 1996 | Platform 9 ¾, 10:45 AM**

After a few days, we were now at the platform, the scarlet Hogwarts Express train waiting for students to board it. I took a moment to gaze at the huge train before taking a deep breath.

_This is it...I’m fuckin’ goin’ to Hogwarts!_

As I thought of that, snippets of the conversation I had before the start of my mission echoed through my mind.

_"We will try our best to inform the staff of the situation but expect them to be wary of you when you arrive."_

_“It can’t be helped. Even if Voldemort will die during our encounter with him at the Hall, people will still be wary of others.”_

_"And that’s why you would do your best to pacify whatever that was. Just keep your head up, okay? Only trust Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. Hagrid can be trusted but he tends to spill but keep him within arm's distance, yeah? Professor Slughorn can be useful too and he might try to reach out to you."_

I gave another sigh and found myself caressing my left ear, a mannerism I usually do when I got anxious. I chose to wear a shell-shaped mermaid scale dangling earring on the main lobe and smaller mermaid scale earrings on the other piercings, small enough so that it won’t be noticed and I won’t be reprimanded. These earrings were charmed as well to hide my tattoos because I cannot risk being recognized by people as it may compromise my mission.

"Ara, are you ready? Let's look for a compartment before the best ones are taken." Hermione's voice came and I nodded towards her direction.

“Wait, both of you are prefects, right? That means we won’t be sharing a compartment?” I asked.

“No, I don’t think so. We can still share a compartment, it’s just that we have a prefect’s meeting first. After that, we’re free to sit where we want to sit.” she explained and I simply nodded.

We quickly looked for a compartment before returning to the platform to say good-bye to Aunt Molly, Bill, and Fleur.

Reminders were given and as the whistle blew, she pushed us toward the train doors. 

“Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley,” Hermione mused as we climbed aboard, closing the door and leaning out of the window to talk to her. 

“Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry followed up.

"I'm really grateful for everything. Thank you for trusting me." I said as I offered her a smile.

“Oh, it was my pleasure, dears,” Aunt Molly said as she waved at us.

The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.

Hermione and Ron had disappeared to the Prefect’s compartment and I was left with Harry which I didn’t mind. However, people stared shamelessly at us as we approached. It was a good thing I decided to wear decent clothes composing of a black crop top with the statement, "Bitch Don't" written in script across it, high waisted jeans and my trusty red and black Victorian-style knee-high boots. I finished the look with a leather jacket and I decided to let my hair down, not caring if some parts of my bangs were covering my eyes.

Those who stared even pressed their faces against the windows of their compartments as we passed through it.

“Hey Ara, think you can give them a scary yakuza face so they’ll leave me alone?” he mumbled and I gave a chuckle.

“Nope, sorry, can’t. My scary face is only for those who deserve it. Let your admirers hurt you first, then I’ll bring out the face.” I said nonchalantly and it was his turn to laugh. I realized we had everyone’s attention now and I just smiled at whoever was brave enough to look at me.

“Hi, Harry!” a low voice came from behind us and we turned. 

“Neville!” Harry said in relief, turning to see a round-faced boy struggling toward him.

“Hello, Harry,” a girl with long hair and large misty eyes greeted as well. 

“Luna, hi, how are you?”

“Very well, thank you,” Luna replied. She was clutching a magazine to her chest, large letters on the front announced that there was a pair of free Spectrespecs inside.

“Wait, is that the new edition of the Quibbler?" I mused as I looked at the magazine.

Luna’s gaze turned towards me and she gave a small smile.

“Oh, you’re a new face here. Who are you?” she asked and I noticed that people were trying to listen in.

“Oh, sorry. Hi, my name is Aratani Yamaguchi Shirai but please call me Ara. I just transferred from Mahoutokoro. It’s nice to meet you.” I mused as I held out my hand and she shook it.

“Hi, Ara, it’s nice to meet you. You look wonderful. Oh, and this is Neville Longbottom.” she replied, gesturing to Neville. I smiled at her and offered my hand to Neville.

“Hi, Neville! It’s nice to meet you.” I exclaimed and he smiled.

“Nice to meet you too.” He said as he shook my hand.

“Do you want to share a compartment with us?” I asked and they both nodded. We set off along the train through hordes of silently staring students before we finally got to our compartment.

“They’re even staring at us!” Neville mused, indicating himself and Luna as he slid the compartment door close. “Because we’re with you!” 

“They’re staring at you because you were at the Ministry too,” Harry exclaimed as he threw himself on one of the seats.

“Our little adventure there was all over the Daily Prophet, you must’ve seen it.” 

“Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity,” Neville started, “but she was really pleased. Says I’m starting to live up to my dad at long last. She bought me a new wand, look!” He pulled it out and showed it to us.

“Cherry and unicorn hair,” he said proudly and I smiled at him.

“That’s awesome Nev! You know, back in my old school, people with Cherry Wood are held with high regard. Congratulations, you deserve it!” I mused excitedly and he blushed, a smile still in his face.

“Thanks. By the way, I’m just curious...how did you know Harry?” he asked and I launched my story on how I was kidnapped and how I escaped. They listened intently and I was happy with the audience.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance outside our compartment door and Harry gave a frustrated sigh. A group of younger girls were whispering and giggling together on the other side of the glass. He shot me a pleading look.

“You ask him!” _Damn, how loud are they? I can hear them through the thick compartment doors!_

“No, you!” 

“I’ll do it!” And one of them, a bold-looking girl with large dark eyes, a prominent chin, and long black hair slid our door open and stepped in. 

“Hi, Harry, I’m Romilda, Romilda Vane,” she said loudly and confidently. 

“Why don’t you join us in our compartment? You don’t have to sit with them,” she added in a stage whisper.

“No, I don’t think so. They’re friends of mine,” Harry said coldly. 

“Oh,” the girl continued, looking very surprised. 

“Are you sure? I mean...we’re way cooler than they are, to be honest. They might have fought with you at the Ministry but that’s about it. We can do other things that are way cooler if you know what I mean.” she started and I gave a groan.

“Hey ya lil’ bitch, he already said ‘No’! An’ who the fuck are ya to decide who he hangs with ha?” I hissed as I stood up to my full height and she immediately shrank back.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly before closing the door. 

“Blimey Ara, who knew you could get scary?” Neville mused.

“Can’t be helped. I grew up not taking shit from others and I learned that the best way to get them to stop is to scare them. Also, don’t think you’re uncool or worthless or anything. You were with Harry, you fought with him, you were there when Voldemort died. You all deserve the same respect and admiration.” I mused, reverting back to my kind personality.

“That’s a nice thing to say.” Luna mused as she pushed her Spectrespecs farther up her nose and settled down to read The Quibbler. 

"We didn’t face him, though,” Neville mused sadly.

“Now that you mentioned it, I remember seeing white-cloaked figures coming to our aid. You remember them do you?” Harry asked and I sucked in breath.

“We do but…” Neville started, dropping his voice to a whisper, “...Professor Dumbledore asked us not to say anything to others.”

Harry gave a resigned sigh and his gaze turned towards me. “You won’t say anything about this to anyone yeah?” He asked and I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Say what to anyone? That I scared off a younger student?” I said, smirking. Their faces relaxed after that.

They began talking about Quidditch and I started reading the comic book Ron lent me during the summer which was about the misadventures of Martin Miggs, a “mad” muggle and I found them interesting, totally different from the novels I liked reading.

The weather beyond the train windows was as patchy as it had been all summer; we passed through stretches of the chilling mist, then out into weak, clear sunlight. It was during one of the clear spells that Ron and Hermione entered the compartment at last. 

“Wish the lunch trolley would hurry up, I’m starving,” Ron said longingly, slumping into the seat beside Harry and rubbing his stomach. 

“Hi, Neville. Hi, Luna. Hi, Ara.” Ron greeted and I simply raised my hand in greeting, too immersed in the comic book. They started talking about Quidditch once again and I simply listened in.

"Wait, I heard that the Japanese Quidditch Team is one of the best teams in the world. Does that mean that Quidditch is a big deal in Mahoutokoro, Ara?" Neville asked.

I looked up from the comic book and grinned at him.

"It's actually one of the main events in school after the _Hanami_ or the cherry blossom viewing. Our location is near a muggle airbase and sometimes our players race against planes while under a disillusionment charm as part of their training." I mused as I closed the comic book.

"Bloody hell! So are you a Quidditch player then?" Ron asked and even Hermione looked at me.

"I may have played seeker at some point and won some matches but that's my Quidditch experience as of late. I'm not really into Quidditch since I prefer swimming over anything." I relayed and they simply nodded.

"But...don't you want to try out for seeker though?" Harry asked all of a sudden.

"If I don't get sorted into Gryffindor then yeah, I might try out but we'll see." I continued, shrugging my shoulders.

"If you do get sorted into Slytherin, steal the seeker spot from Malfoy. It might turn down his superiority complex down a notch." Ron grumbled.

Suddenly, the compartment door slid open again and a breathless younger girl stepped inside. 

“I’m supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom, Aratani Shirai, and Harry P-Potter,” she faltered, as her eyes met Harry’s and she turned scarlet. She was holding out three scrolls of parchment tied with a violet ribbon. Perplexed, we took the scroll addressed to each of us and the girl stumbled back out of the compartment. 

“Whoa Harry, I foresee a long line of ladies begging for your attention.” I teased as I unrolled the parchment.

“Oh, Merlin please no. I can’t handle that much!” Harry said exasperated and I grinned at him.

“Better let them know you’re already taken, Harry. I can’t always use my scary face to save you.” I teased and I watched as he and Hermione blushed. Ron simply rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the parchment.

“What is it?” Ron demanded as Harry unrolled his. “An invitation,” he mused as he glanced at the note. I glanced at the parchment as well.

“Who’s Professor Slughorn?” Neville asked, looking perplexedly at his own invitation. 

“New teacher,” Harry replied. “Well, I suppose we’ll have to go, won’t we?” 

“But what does he want me for?” Neville asked nervously, as though he was expecting detention. 

“No idea,” Harry replied.

“Ah fuck, I don’t want to go!” I said childishly.

“Wait, I’m just curious, how does he know you?” Harry asked and I glared at him.

“He’s friends with my grandpa and I don’t want to draw more attention to me. He’s bound to ask questions.” I mused and they just gaped at me.

“The more reason to go, don’t you think? You don’t want to embarrass your grandpa right?” Harry grinned and I glared at him.

“Fuck you, Chosen One.” I hissed and he simply shrugged. 

They spent a lot of time coaxing me to come and I finally agreed, shutting them up. We got up and left the compartment.

The corridors which were packed with people on the lookout for the lunch trolley made navigation difficult and the staring didn’t help either. Every now and then, students would hurtle out of their compartments to get a better look at us and I was getting anxious with every compartment I passed by. The whispers added to my annoyance as well.

_"Why does Potter always have a front-row seat to any major event?"_

_"He wasn't even the one who defeated Voldemort. It was Dumbledore!"_

_"Have you seen the new girl he was with? She's kinda fit, isn't she?"_

_"Her hair and eyes are an interesting color. Where do you reckon she's from?"_

Fed up, I decided to just tune out the noise.  
  


****  
  
Also, you can see how I envisioned Ara to look like in my Twitter account, ([ https://twitter.com/win_drabbles](https://twitter.com/win_drabbles)) so please feel free to check it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended. Also, there are some parts of the book that I would be replicating so yeah, just giving everyone a head's up. I don't want to be charged with Plagiarism ehehehe.


	6. We're Almost At Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ara, Harry and Neville head to Compartment C for Professor Slughorn's little luncheon. Here, they meet new people and Ara ends up wondering if they can assist her in her mission. 
> 
> On the other hand, Draco is starting to feel an interest in her. Are his intentions pure though?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter for everyone because I'm not sure when I'll be updating again so yeah, Enjoy!

When they reached compartment C, they saw at once that they were not Slughorn’s only invitees, although judging by the enthusiasm of Slughorn’s welcome, Harry and Ara was the most warmly anticipated. 

“Harry, m’boy!” Slughorn mused, jumping up at the sight of him so that his great velvet-covered belly seemed to fill all the remaining space in the compartment. His shiny bald head and great silvery mustache gleamed as brightly in the sunlight as the golden buttons on his waistcoat. 

“And Ara my dear! Your grandfather talked a lot about you! Good to see you, good to see you! And you must be Mr. Longbottom!” Neville nodded, looking scared. 

At a gesture from Slughorn, they sat down opposite each other, Ara sitting beside Harry and luckily they were near the door. 

Ara glanced around at their fellow guests. There was a tall black boy with high cheekbones and long, slanting eyes wearing the Slytherin colors; there were also two older boys and squashed in the corner beside Slughorn, looking as though she was not entirely sure how she had got there was Ginny, who met Ara’s questioning gaze.

“Alright, I’ll try to introduce you to everyone.” Slughorn mused and he pointed at the tall black boy.

“Blaise Zabini is in your year, of course —” Zabini did not make any sign of recognition or greeting, nor did Harry or Neville. 

"Well damn...I didn't think the rivalry between them was this serious?" Ara thought.

“This is Cormac McLaggen, perhaps Harry and Neville had come across each other —? No? I don’t expect you to know him, my dear Ara, you did just transfer from Mahoutokoro after all.” 

McLaggen was a large, wiry-haired youth and he raised a hand, his gaze settling on Ara and lingering. They simply nodded back at him. “— and this is Marcus Belby, I don’t know whether — ?” Belby, who was thin and nervous-looking, gave a strained smile. “— and this charming young lady tells me she knows you!” Slughorn finished. Ginny grimaced at Harry, Neville, and Ara from behind Slughorn’s back. “Well now, this is most pleasant,” Slughorn said cozily. 

“A chance to get to know you all a little better. Here, take a napkin. I packed my lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on licorice wands, and a poor old man’s digestive system isn’t quite up to such things. . . . Pheasant, Belby?” Belby started and accepted what looked like half a cold pheasant. 

“I was just telling young Marcus here that I had the pleasure of teaching his Uncle Damocles,” Slughorn told them and they were now passing around a basket of rolls. He started speaking, interrogating everyone and it was uncomfortable as they felt that their privacy was being breached. 

Zabini, who was interrogated after McLaggen, turned out to have a famously beautiful witch for a mother. It was Neville’s turn next: This was a very uncomfortable ten minutes, for Neville’s parents, well-known Aurors, had been tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange and a couple of Death Eater cronies. 

At the end of Neville’s interview, Harry had the impression that Slughorn was reserving judgment on Neville, yet to see whether he had any of his parents’ flair. 

“Next we have, Harry Potter,” Slughorn mused, shifting massively in his seat.

“Harry Potter! Where to begin? I feel I barely scratched the surface when we met over the summer!” He mused as he fixed him a look then said, “Your stunt at the Ministry was very heroic my boy! Tell me, how did you deal with the Death Eaters? It must have been frightening to battle with full-grown adults, yes? And what of the battle between Albus and Voldemort? It must have been exhilarating to watch a Great Wizard defeat an evil Lord, isn’t it?” Harry simply nodded, not wanting to elaborate. A few more questions here and there and it was finally Ara’s turn.

"Finally it’s your turn, dearest Ara! Your grandfather had nothing but praises for you my dear! I wonder how the house of Seiran will defend their title now that their best seeker had transferred to Hogwarts? You were responsible for letting them win all 5 House Cups were you not?” All eyes were on her now and it took a lot of willpower to stay seated and not rush out of the door.

“If that wasn’t enough, your grandfather also boasts of your affinity with non-verbal spells and excellent combat skills! I think we saw that side of you when you captured a squib thief back in Diagon Alley without magic yes? Although I can’t blame you, you come from an influential ya--”

“Thank you so much for recounting my misadventures, Professor Slughorn but I think we shall continue with the meal? It’s getting cold.” Ara cut in, voice calm and cold and her glare shut him up immediately.

“Oh yes, of course.” Slughorn simply mused. She was proud of her heritage but she was also wary of how people viewed them. Only those of pureblood descent knew what their family can do and she knew they wouldn't say anything to others. However, those who were unaware of it may find it difficult to trust her when the truth would be revealed and that may compromise her mission. For now, she had to keep her heritage under wraps.

The afternoon wore on with more anecdotes about illustrious wizards Slughorn had taught, all of whom had been delighted to join what he called the “Slug Club” at Hogwarts. 

Everyone wanted to leave, but they just couldn’t see how to do so politely. Finally, the train emerged from yet another long misty stretch into a red sunset, and Slughorn looked around, blinking in the twilight. 

“Good gracious, it’s getting dark already! I didn’t notice that they’d lit the lamps! You’d better go and change into your robes, all of you." he mused.

“Well, off you go, off you go!” As they pushed past into the darkening corridor, Ara noticed Zabini shooting Ginny a filthy look and Ginny returned it with earnest. They followed Zabini back along the train. 

“I’m glad that’s over,” Neville muttered. 

“Strange man, isn’t he?” 

“Yeah, he is a bit,” Harry mused, his eyes on Zabini.

“How come you ended up in there, Ginny?” Ara asked and Ginny gave her a grin.

“He saw me hex Zacharias Smith, he was an idiot from Hufflepuff who joined the D.A it's an organization Harry and Hermione created to teach spells,” Ginny said, catching Ara’s confused look before continuing, “...and he kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him — when Slughorn came in I thought I was going to get detention, but he just thought it was a good hex and invited me to lunch! Mad, eh?” 

“Better reason for inviting someone than because their mother’s famous,” Harry mused, scowling at the back of Zabini’s head, “or because of their uncle —” 

“Or because he’s friends with her grandfather.” Ara mused as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Fuckin’ old coot! He almost exposed ma her’tage ta those who were unaware of it. Somebody needs ta fuckin’ shut his mouth.” Ara hissed and that earned a laugh from the others. They made their way back to their compartment and at that moment, rain poured.

Back at the Slytherin compartment, Zabini had angrily shut the sliding door as soon as he entered. 

He then collapsed into his seat looking ruffled. Draco looked up at him from Pansy Parkinson’s lap. 

“So, Zabini,” Draco mused, “what did Slughorn want?”

“Just trying to make up to well-connected people,” Zabini mused as he glowered at Goyle. 

“Not that he managed to find many.” This information did not seem to please Draco. “Who else had he invited?” he demanded.

“McLaggen from Gryffindor,” Zabini started. 

“Oh yeah, his uncle’s big in the Ministry,” Draco commented.

“— someone else called Belby, from Ravenclaw —” 

“Not him, he’s a prat!” Pansy hissed. 

“— and Longbottom, Potter, that Weasley girl oh yeah, someone I’ve never seen before, I think he called her Ara.” Zabini finished. 

Draco sat up very suddenly, knocking Pansy’s hand aside. 

“Tch. Of course, he’d invite the ‘Heroes of the Ministry’ ” Malfoy sneered, “But the last one, you said her name was Ara?” 

“Yeah. She’s quite a looker, to be honest. Long, curly midnight blue hair, toned arms, and legs, dark slate blue eyes. She used to be the seeker of her old house back in Mahoutokoro, won all their games...well according to Slughorn. He also said she had excellent combat skills whatever that means.” Zabini said and Pansy watched Draco’s reaction. He seemed to be listening intently. 

After his run-in with the Shirai Princess at Madam Malkin's, he found himself drawn to her strength and beauty. She was a force to be reckoned with but he knew that she held a secret; he just didn't know what but he was determined to find out. And besides, challenges were nice right?

“You think she’s quite a looker, ei, Blaise? Are you saying you like her? We all know how hard you are to please!” Pansy hissed.

“She’s friends with the Weasleys, I wouldn’t touch a filthy little blood traitor sympathizer like her whatever she looked like,” Zabini said coldly, and Pansy looked pleased. 

Draco sank back across her lap and allowed her to resume the stroking of his hair. He knew Pansy liked him but he just couldn't return the favor. 

However, he was 16 years old and sometimes hormones make you want to do things. Now that his father was locked away at Azkaban and Lord Voldemort was dead, he was determined to enjoy his teenage life the best way possible.

“Well, I pity Slughorn’s taste. Maybe he’s going a bit senile. Shame, my father always said he was a good wizard in his day. My father used to be a bit of a favorite of his. Slughorn probably hasn’t heard I’m on the train, or —” 

“I wouldn’t bank on an invitation,” Zabini cut off. “He asked me about Nott’s father when I first arrived. They used to be old friends, apparently, but when he heard he’d been caught at the Ministry he didn’t look happy, and Nott didn’t get an invitation, did he? I don’t think Slughorn’s interested in Death Eaters.” 

Draco looked angry but forced out a singularly humorless laugh. 

“Well, who cares what he’s interested in? What is he, when you come down to it? Just some stupid teacher. We might have lost the war and our leader but our blood status is far more superior than his.” Draco yawned ostentatiously. 

“I can see Hogwarts,” Draco mused. “We’d better get our robes on.” 

He pulled on his robes like the others, locked his trunk, and as the train slowed to a jerky crawl, fastened a thick new traveling cloak round his neck. 

The corridors started filling up again and he saw a flash of blue among the crowd but it was followed shortly after by a flash of red, some bushy mess, two dark heads, and a blonde. 

_Of course, she’ll hang out with the Heroes. That’s how things are supposed to be right? Heroes always win, villains are tossed aside._

Soon, the train doors opened and they got off.

“Hi, Hagrid!” he heard Harry yell upon seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the platform and Hagrid turned his attention towards them.

“All righ’, Harry?” Hagrid bellowed back, waving. 

"Come on, I’ll escort you to him. I think you'll be joining the first years since you would be sorted with them as well." He heard Harry say to her and he saw her giving him a shaky smile.

"Don't worry about it, Ara, whatever house you end up in, we'll still be your friends." Hermione mused as she linked her arms around hers and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Even if I end up in Slytherin?" she teased and Ron chuckled.

"Even if you end up with Slytherin. At least we get to have a spy in the snake's pit!" Ron assured her and she snorted a laugh. _As if they’ll let her into their circle that easily._

They finally approached Hagrid and Ara stared once again.

"Come this way." Hagrid mused as he led her towards the dock where boats filled with first years looked at them in awe. The rain grew stronger and some of the boats rocked violently because of the current.

Draco suddenly felt nervous but he shook the feeling off. _What was he thinking about?_

“See yeh at the feast if we don’ drown!” Hagrid teased as he waved goodbye and there were a couple of gasps from the first years. She just gave a hearty chuckle and smiled.

"No worries, I'll make sure we won't." she mused as she stepped into the boat. 

He watched as she rolled the sleeves of her robes until her elbows and dipped her hand into the lake.

At once, the currents stilled and the boats began to glide smoothly across the lake. 

Draco raised an eyebrow. However, before he could see what happened, Pansy was already pulling him away from the docks.

_What an interesting girl indeed._


	7. Ara's Hat Stall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? Ara seemed to have caused a Hat Stall during the Sorting. 
> 
> Also, it's not too early to create connections, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoaaa, we reached 400 hits! Thank you for your support! Here's another chapter! :)

Back at Hogwarts, The Golden Trio slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed under the light of hundreds and hundreds of floating candles hovering above the four long tables. The tables were packed with chattering and doused students and at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. 

It was much warmer here as Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. 

“Good evening,” he said, beaming at them. 

“Good evening!” they greeted back.

“Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I’m starving.” Ron mused and Hermione shot him a glare. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey Potter, where's Shirai? Got tired of being overshadowed by your brilliance?" Draco's taunting voice came and snickers came from the Slytherin table.

"Shut up Malfoy." Ginny hissed. More snickers came from their table and they decided to just ignore it. Thunder rumbled overhead and students looked up at the enchanted ceiling which reflected the current state of the weather outside.

“Oh hurry up,” Ron moaned beside Harry and as soon as the words left his mouth, the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. 

Professor McGonagall led a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall and they searched for a familiar flash of midnight blue hair only to find Ara at the back of the line talking to a girl with curly black hair pulled back in a ponytail. The girl was chubby with rosy cheeks and she was looking at Ara with admiration. Ara caught their gaze and winked, flipping her ponytail as she did. 

Eyebrows raised as they looked on, one reason being that Aratani looked out of place with the small first years and another because they were all dry despite crossing a lake. 

Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at her confused and she placed a finger on her lips. As she passed them, they felt her brush her finger against their robes and it instantly dried.

Their gaze followed her and they watched as something crawled under her sleeves and they realized it was water.

Once the end of the line finally reached the top table and they faced the audience, Professor McGonagall placed a three-legged stool on the ground before them. On top of it was an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard’s hat. 

Everyone stared at it and for a moment, there was silence. All of a sudden, a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song.

The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished and then Professor McGonagall unrolled a large scroll of parchment. 

“When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool,” she told the first years (and Ara). 

“When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."

“Ackerley, Valentine!” The girl Ara was talking to earlier stepped forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, a firm grip on the older girl's robes.

Ara knelt beside her and showed her her palm. She traced something on it and then she placed it over her mouth like she was taking a pill and made a show of swallowing it. The girl followed what she did before she let go and sat on the stool. Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head and they waited.

“SLYTHERIN!" The girl's eyes widened in shock and she looked at Ara. Ara repeated the gesture she did earlier and the girl visibly relaxed before making her way towards the Slytherin table. The older ones scoffed as she passed, and she decided to take a seat at the very edge.

Names were called and first years who were sorted into Slytherin avoided sitting next to Valentine. The other houses noticed it and they tried offering her warm, assuring smiles.

“Fawley, Adelaide.” Professor McGonagall continued and a tall and slim girl with long blonde hair stepped forward. Her movements were prim and proper, typical of someone with Pureblood training and carefully she sat on the stool.

“SLYTHERIN!” the Sorting Hat mused and the Slytherin table cheered. Adelaide gave a relieved smile and made her way towards the table. They scooted over, giving her a space to squeeze into but they were surprised when she decided to sit next to Valentine. The girl was surprised but gave her a smile and before long, a conversation between them started. 

Everyone was in shock of what happened and the Sorting continued.

"Shirai Aratani." Professor McGonagall's voice echoed across the hall and Harry noticed how Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey turned their attention towards her. They weren't the only ones though since those who just saw her today were curious as well.

Harry looked at the Slytherin table and they too were transfixed at her. Of course, they knew about her family. She was a pureblood after all.

_Bet they think she'll be sorted into Slytherin._

Aratani made her way towards the stool gracefully as if she was gliding, robes billowing behind her. She sat down and the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.

"Oh, what's this? A Mahoutokoro student? Interesting, interesting indeed. Tell me, my dear, why did you transfer here for your sixth year hmm?" 

Silence.

"I see. That is rather brave of you my dear, a true Gryffindor." The hat continued and Harry watched as a scowl made its way to Draco's face.

"But the way you planned it, perfect and cunning, not to mention you are a Pureblood, maybe Slytherin is the house for you?" Draco smirked at that comment and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Are you seeing this?" He asked Hermione as he leaned closer to her.

"Seeing what?" she replied.

"Malfoy. Do you think he likes Ara?" She asked and that earned a look from Hermione.

"Or perhaps you prefer to stay in Hufflepuff? Your family is there...no?” The Sorting Hat paused as if in deep thought. 

“Understood...hmm… well then, let’s see. You seem to have a strong affinity with Divination, Potions, Elemental Water and the Dark Arts...interesting indeed. I see you are athletic as well, what with all the combat training you have done and the Quidditch matches you won as a seeker...hmmm." The Sorting Hat continued and murmurs erupted from the Great Hall.

"Bloody hell, Harry. Imagine if you have to go against her in one of these matches." Ron whispered and Harry broke into a grin. This was the third time her seeker skills were commented on and he was getting excited.

"That would be interesting to watch if that’s the case." He mused and Hermione hushed them both.

"No, I know the perfect place for you, someplace similar to your former house in Mahoutokoro." Everyone waited with bated breaths and Harry felt Hermione squeezing his thigh.

"Witty, Clever, Athletic and Creative, you belong to...RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat shouted and cheers erupted at the Ravenclaw table. Ara lifted the hat from her head, a wide smile on her face as she went down from the stool. 

At once, the color of her collar, robe lining and tie transfigured to blue and bronze and she gave a short bow at the Sorting Hat before she glided towards the Ravenclaw table. 

As she passed by the Slytherin table, Valentine tackled her with a hug, eyes brimming with tears and she hugged her back, stroking her hair. Another whispered conversation with the girl nodding along and she gave the little girl a quick kiss on the cheek before settling down on the Ravenclaw table next to Luna.

The Sorting continued for a few more minutes and finally, the last student was sorted. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. 

“About time,” said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate. 

Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. 

“I have only two words to say to you,” he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. 

“Tuck in.” 

“Hear, hear!” said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes.

At the Ravenclaw table, Padma Patil, the current Prefect, welcomed the new members of the house and Ara was swamped. Valentine and Adelaide continued with their conversation and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi, there!" Cho's voice came from across her and Ara turned her attention towards her.

"Oh hi!” She greeted Cho and gave a wide grin.

"Hi, my name is Cho and I am currently the Ravenclaw seeker." she introduced, her voice soft-spoken.

"Oh, I see! It’s nice to meet you.” Ara mused and Cho nodded.

“I heard that you used to be a seeker too. I was wondering if you wanted to take my place?” she asked and Ara raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry what?” she asked and Cho smiled at her. 

“Once the Quidditch tryout schedule had been posted, I want you to try being a seeker. I’m still...emotionally unstable and I don’t want to disappoint the team. Will that be okay?” she asked and Ara looked at her sadly but nodded.

“A-Alright then.”

Dinner continued and when the food was put away, Dumbledore took the stand.

“The very best of evenings to you!” he said, smiling broadly, his arms opened wide again as if embracing the entire hall. Everyone cheered loudly (well almost everyone. Slytherins were quiet) and Professor Dumbledore actually blushed.

“Now . . . to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you and Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes." There were boos around the Hall but Dumbledore raised his hand again and everyone quieted down at once.

“Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise." Cho looked at Ara again, smiling and she nodded.

“We are also pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn” — Slughorn stood up, his bald head gleaming in the candlelight, his big waistcoated belly casting the table below into shadow — “is a former colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions master.”

She saw Ron and Hermione looking at Harry quizzically before turning their gaze towards her.

"Potions?" They mouthed and she shrugged.

"Yes. I forgot to tell you about that." she mouthed back and their eyes widened.

“Professor Snape, meanwhile," Dumbledore continued, raising his voice so that it carried over all the muttering, “will be taking over the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore’s right, did not stand up at the mention of his name; he merely raised a hand in lazy acknowledgment of the applause from the Slytherin table, who were all looking smug.

She noticed that the whole Hall had erupted in a buzz of conversation at the news and Ara turned to Luna who was busy reading the Quibbler.

"What's the big deal about Snape being a DADA professor?" she asked her. _This was something she didn't know about._

"Oh. He had been vying for that position ever since but Dumbledore kept giving it to others. I guess they're just amazed that Snape had finally achieved his heart’s desire." Luna mused and Ara nodded in understanding. She turned to look at him and he gave her a subtle nod.

“Now, as everybody in this Hall knows, Lord Voldemort is no more but some of his followers are still at large and the Aurors are rounding them up as we speak. It is with this line that we hope we may finally get the peace and equality we so desire." Professor Dumbledore continued and she felt his gaze on her.

"Prejudice is what has set this course and this year, I would like to appeal to everyone right now." He then turned his gaze towards the audience and continued, "For this year, we will try to encourage Inter-House activities that will help forge bonds with others and we expect each and every one of you to participate. We were given a chance for peace and we should all try our best to keep it that way." 

Dumbledore’s blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more. 

“But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!” 


	8. The Slytherin Prince Asks Help from the Shirai Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Ara's first night in the Ravenclaw Tower and things seem to be looking up. The next day, however, she is caught by the Slytherin Prince with her tattoos out. 
> 
> Will a Yubitsume remedy her situation?

“Ara, come,” Luna said as she linked her arms around mine and I simply nodded. I gave one last look at the teacher’s table only to find Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey looking right at me. 

They gave a nod to which I subtly returned and then I was being dragged away from the Great Hall.

The Ravenclaw common room was located in one of the castle’s towers and I took note of the path we followed, trying to remember. Luna held on to me as we climbed a tight spiral staircase to get to the door that was guarded by a bronze eagle-shaped knocker. Padma moved to knock it and a resonating voice came from the eagle head.

“What can’t talk but will reply when spoken to?” it asked and I immediately answered.

“An echo.” I mused and Padma smiled at me.

“Marvelous, come in.” the knocker said and the door swung open. Everyone crowded into the entrance and I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of our common room.

It had graceful arched windows fitted with a seating and it provided an awesome view of the entire campus grounds, from the Black Lake to the Forbidden Forest and even the Quidditch Pitch. Alcoves were also fitted with bookshelves and seating and blue and bronze silks hung on the walls. The domed ceiling was painted with stars that echoed in the midnight-blue carpet and tables, chairs, and bookcases covered the expanse of the floor. A white marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw sat in front of the biggest bookshelf that had a hidden door behind it which served as the entrance to the dormitories. At the corner of the common room was a grand piano and I immediately rushed towards it.

“Merlin, can we play this?” I asked, removing the soft cloth that covered the ivory keys.

“Of course you can, it’s there for a reason. It’s just that not everyone can play.” a low voice came and I turned towards the speaker. A guy with blonde hair and grey eyes looked at me, a debonair smile on his face. He was also wearing the Prefect badge.

He was tall and broad built and I found myself admiring him. 

“Oh? And can you play?” I asked, raising my eyebrow at him.

“Yes. Do you want me to play?” he replied as he pulled out the stool.

"Yes please...however, may I know the name of the gentleman who wishes to serenade me?” I continued, a grin spreading to my face.

“Anthony Goldstein, my lady,” he answered as he began to play To a Wild Rose by Edward MacDowell. Everyone stared at him in awe and as he finished his piece, the common room broke into applause and I found myself smiling.

“Aww, showing off for the new girl eh, Tony?” another voice came and a guy with brown hair and brown eyes broke from the crowd. He was tall and slim and wore an easy grin and Anthony blushed.

“She did ask, Terry…” Anthony mused as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Nope, I think he challenged you.” another voice and this time a guy with black hair stepped forward. 

“Came to join the party, Mike?” the brown-haired guy-Terry-mused. I looked at the three guys staring at me and I simply shrugged my shoulders, finding my way back to Luna who gave me a wink.

“Are they usually like this or just today?” I asked and Luna replied, “No, that’s just how they are. They’re friends, believe it or not.” 

“I see. Well then, thank you for the serenade, Anthony but I think everyone’s ready to sleep? I know I am.” I announced and there were nods of approval. After that, people started dispersing and as I made my way towards the dormitory entrance, I noticed how they looked at me and I shook my head.

_Ara, focus on your mission okay? You’re not here to relive your high school fantasies._

As I stepped inside the bookcase, I found myself standing in an archway that split into two directions and Luna led me to the one on my right. A set of doors greeted us and she led me to the farthest room. 

“Here we are. We're roommates as of today since my former roommates left for Ilvermorny after they heard of the Dark Lord’s resurrection. Padma used to be my roommate too but she would be staying at the Prefect's dorms so it's just us.” Luna mused and I smiled at her.

"This is wonderful, thank you so much! I personally prefer to have just one roommate."

"Come in." She mused as she opened the door.

There were five four-poster beds arranged circularly and it was covered in blue curtains with bronze lining. A nightstand stood next to each of the beds and I saw my trunk at the foot of the bed near the window and I gave a happy smile. A wooden chair and dresser stood on the other side of the bed and a lamp was placed on the wooden board. The dorm had stone walls and wooden floors and like the common room, blue and bronze silk hung from the walls. 

“Wow, this is amazing.” I breathed as I took in my surroundings.

“I’m glad you like it. Welcome to Ravenclaw, Ara.” Luna said as she opened her arms wide, indicating the room.

I simply grinned at her. "Thank you! Please take care of me." I mused, bowing and I wordlessly cast another protection charm for Luna.

_No one will get hurt while I'm here. I will make sure of it._

The next day, I woke up an hour earlier than my housemates and put on some capris, a crop top, and sneakers, tying my hair up in a ponytail. I had already wrapped my hand so as not to waste time on it later when I start my usual workout. Usually, there were rules about not leaving the common room earlier than 6 AM but I was given permission to do so when I received my Hogwarts letter. I just had to show it to anyone who reprimanded me and I was fine with that.

After leaving a note and my charmed earrings, I silently made my way out of the tower towards the Black Lake. I began stretching, loosening up the knots and muscles I wasn't able to use while we were with the Weasleys and I began running laps.

After 30 minutes of warm-up, I transformed the tiny pillow I brought with me into a punching bag and hung it in one of the strong branches of the tree that was near the Black Lake and began my set of kicks and punches.

"That's a lot of tattoos you have there, Shirai. I'm surprised you were able to hide it all this time?" A familiar obnoxious voice came from behind me and I turned only to see Draco. He was wearing his school robes with the Prefect badge pinned to one side and he was sneering at me.

_Fuck, I knew I should have worn my earrings!_

"Yeah? Whatchu gonna do abou' it hah? Dock some points fro' ma house?" I hissed and he paled for a bit before rearranging his features into an emotionless mask.

"That's the logical thing to do but why don't we strike a deal, hmm?" He started and I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Wha' kinda deal are we talkin' bout?" I asked, trying to read his mind with my Legilimens but I just found out that he was a good Occlumens.

"You teach me some of your moves and I won't dock any points from your house. Plus, you're free to make use of the Black Lake provided that I will be with you." He proposed and I mulled it over.

"Why do you want to learn combat?" I asked, taking a swig from my canteen.

"It looked interesting and besides, I'm ambitious. I want to prove that I can do better than you." He mused and I looked at him.

Instead of answering, I let my hair down and began tying it in a messy bun instead.

"Look, Draco, if you want to train with me then you have to learn how to be honest because I despise people who lie." I started as I fixed him a look.

"How can you be sure that I'm lying?" He continued giving me a smirk and I stepped closer to him.

"Because you're refusing to look at me right now," I answered and I noticed that his eyes were looking everywhere except me.

"It's a simple question, Draco." I continued as I forced his face to turn back to mine and I realized we were so close. The smell of pine and green apples wafted towards me and I found his scent calming. 

His slate grey eyes found mine and he raised an eyebrow before stepping back from me.

Seeing that he refused to answer, I decided to let it go.

"Fine, I won't ask a--"

"It's because I want to protect my mother. I'm efficient with spells, yes, but I'm still 16 years old and can't perform magic outside of school. My mother's wand had been revoked as well and my family is one of the most hated as of late and I know that some people would be after us. What if one day we are attacked outside huh? No one would dare help us, that much I am aware of, but that doesn't mean I won't go down with a fight." He lamented and I gaped at him in shock.

"Well? Say something!" He shouted, embarrassed that he just let that slip. I knew Slytherins valued self-preservation more than anything and this was a huge step for them.

Instead of answering, I raised my pinky in the air and he looked at me.

"Let's make a promise then. The one who breaks it does a Yubitsume." 

"Yubitsume?" He asked.

"If you fail to finish the end of your bargain, we'll have to cut a small part of your pinky as punishment and vice versa," I explained and he looked aghast.

"That's bloody brutal!" He exclaimed and I shrugged.

"That's why we make sure we don't break the deal," I said nonchalantly and he just gaped.

"But why the pinky?" He asked and I put my hand down.

"Once the pinky is mutilated, it lessens the power of your grip on your weapon, making you weak, thus having you rely on your head or brothers when in battle. It's kind of an insult to you, to be honest, to be protected by someone else but I don't look at it that way." I explained as I cast a drying spell on my sweat.

"How do you look at it then?" He continued and I smiled at him.

"I see it as a way of trusting other people with your life and supporting you in times of need, it tells you that it's okay to ask for help." I mused. 

He pondered at that thought and then to my shock, he raised his pinky.

"Let's make the deal then." He stated, his face determined.

I grinned and raised my pinky again.

"Alright, you start with your side of the deal."

"Do you promise to teach me combat techniques and other useful things that I can use to defend my family while in turn, I will not disclose any information regarding your heritage to anyone and accompany you when needed? Also, no one should know about this unless I say something about it first." He started and I nodded.

"Yes, I do. Do you promise to be more open to me and to others and to never lie unless there is a need to and to help me in whatever endeavors I find myself in while in turn, I will teach you everything about combat and protect you from any kind of harm?" I followed up and he raised an eyebrow but nodded.

"Yes, I do." And with that, I twined my pinky with his and I felt a warm tingling in the area where we touched.

At once, an intricate white half ouroboros tattoo appeared in our pinkies, binding our contract. When our pinkies were entwined together, it was a complete ouroboros and against his pale skin, it almost looked like there was nothing there unless you look closer.

"Oh. This is beautiful." He said, admiring it and I grinned as I detangle my pinky from his, the half ouroboros looking like a crescent snake.

"Indeed it is. This marks our contract. The only time it disappears is when the contract has been completed or the other half dies. If we were not able to fulfill the contract, the mark will turn a deep red for everyone to see. It will only disappear if the pinky is cut." I explained and I was expecting him to look scared but he was interested.

"I see." He mused.

"Alright. So when do you want to start?" I asked as I stepped away from him.

"Now. I want to start now." He said as he shrugged off his robes and loosened his tie. He took off his shoes as well, transfiguring his socks into foot wraps and he began rolling up his trousers until his knees.

"I don't need to warm up since I used a lot of my muscles anyway during summer when I was training in Quidditch." He drawled as he also rolled up his sleeves until his elbows and I couldn't help but grin. 

"Oh? We'll see about that when we're done." I mused as I dropped into a fighting stance and Draco transfigured his tie into hand wraps as well.

"Looking forward to it." Draco continued as he too took on a fighting stance and my grin widened. The clock chimed 6 times and as it reached the last chime, we lunged towards each other.


	9. A Bruised Ara Appears!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by Phoenix Rising written by Peanutbuttertoast. Check it out, it's pretty cool!
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended. Also, there are some parts of the book that I would be replicating so yeah, just giving everyone a head's up. I don't want to be charged with Plagiarism ehehehe.

Back at the Gryffindor tower, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were already preparing breakfast when Parvati, Padma's identical twin, approached them.

"Hermione, have any of you seen Ara? She's Luna's roommate but when she woke up, Ara wasn't in her bed. She left a note but it's almost time for breakfast and they haven't seen her yet. They're getting worried." She said, her Indian accent thick.

"What? Where's the note?" Ginny asked worriedly. 

"It's with Luna. She's waiting outside with Padma. Come." Parvati said as she walked out of the portrait, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny following behind.

True enough, Padma and Luna stood outside their common room. They were already dressed but a look of worry was etched on their faces.

Harry knew exactly what they felt because he felt it the first time they found Ara by the shore. They had only known her for a short time but something about her made them want to protect her with their lives.

"Where's the note, Luna?" Hermione asked and she immediately handed her a small piece of parchment. The handwriting was messy but legible and Hermione read it aloud.

“Good morning Luna! Just letting you know that I got up early to train. If I'm not yet back before breakfast, please look for me at the infirmary because I might have injured myself or something….or the owlery. I have to send a letter home regarding my Quidditch robes. See you at breakfast! Ara Shi.”

[ ](https://imgur.com/smBZFcA)

"Have you checked the infirmary and the owlery?" Ron asked and Luna and Padma nodded.

“Oh what’s this? Careful on your way down, Weasel, you might trip on your huge feet!” Draco’s sneering voice came and they turned towards him. He just emerged from the dungeons with Crabbe and Goyle beside him, Blaise, Theo and Pansy behind him.

Instead of replying, they just ignored him and started making their way towards the infirmary when they heard the familiar velvety voice.

"Yer fuckin' kiddin' right?" At once, Ara came into view and they all stared at her. She had her hair down and she wore capris and a track jacket, a canteen in one hand, an ice pack in another. Beside her was Anthony in his school robes.

"ARA!" she turned towards them and gave a smile and they noticed that she had a faint bruise in one eye and a bandage on her nose. Her lip was split as well.

"What happened to you?!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang through as she approached them and they listened in.

"Oh. Good morning Professor. Anthony found me training near the lake and I hit the punching bag too hard. Since I was distracted, it hit me back. There are no rules about training here right?" Ara said with uncertainty as she shrugged her shoulders.

"As long as you have a pass it's fine. I commend you for your work, Mr. Goldstein but don't startle Miss Shirai next time and I hope you will not set your Prefect duties aside?" Professor McGonagall asked as she turned a stern gaze towards him.

"I won't, Professor. Today was just a chance encounter." Anthony mused and Professor McGonagall simply nodded.

"Oh. Alright then. Just...just be careful next time okay? Now, off you go both of you. We don't want to be late for breakfast." She said as she turned on her heel, robes swishing behind her.

Ara and Anthony had a brief exchange and then they parted, Anthony setting course towards one of the corridors to resume his duty and Ara heading to her friends.

"Good morning guys! Why are you all here? I hope I didn't let you worry? I was looking for everyone as well. I left a note, didn't I?" She said as she smiled at them sheepishly.

"You know, we should be mad at you but nah, it doesn't matter." Ginny mused as she tackled Ara into a hug. Luna, Padma, Parvati, and Hermione followed suit.

"Girls wait! I'm sweaty and stinky! Don't!" Ara said as she giggled and tried to squirm out of the hug.

"Doesn't matter. And besides, we just smell ylang-ylang." Luna's muffled voice came. They stayed like that for a few seconds before someone cleared their throat and they broke away from the hug immediately.

"Did he see your tattoos?" Hermione whispered, eyes wide and Ara covered her mouth with her hand. However, Parvati was able to hear it.

"You have tattoos?" Parvati asked and Ara stepped back a bit, pulling her sleeves down to cover the dragon's head on her knuckles. Draco’s entourage tried listening in as well but Draco just looked away.

"Y-yes? It's uhm...it's a mermaid seal but I uh, don't like showing it off." She stuttered and they just looked at her, eyebrows raised.

"Erm, okay then. Why don't you guys go ahead to the Great Hall and secure us a spot? I'll just freshen up a bit. Sounds good, yeah?" Ara announced and they all nodded in agreement, deciding not to question her further. With that, they went on their way. Ara caught sight of the Slytherins but they pointedly ignored her and she just shrugged her shoulders before walking back to the Ravenclaw Tower.

Meanwhile, her friends found a chair to settle down to and waited.

Soon, Ara had already joined them, gauze and bandages hidden behind a glamour spell and they started eating, oblivious of the hungry stares Cormac McLaggen had been throwing Ara ever since she sat on the table.

Once again, they were asking about Mahoutokoro and she indulged them with everything she knew about it.

Even the other tables seem eager to listen and she was happy to oblige.


	10. Just Breakfast Shenanigans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and Ara's having anxiety toast and nervous juice. 
> 
> Valentine is introducing her new friend and...Cormac McLaggen gets a vibe check by means of a headbutt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic was inspired by Phoenix Rising written by Peanutbuttertoast. Check it out, it's pretty cool!
> 
> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended. Also, there are some parts of the book that I would be replicating so yeah, just giving everyone a head's up. I don't want to be charged with Plagiarism ehehehe.

I looked at the people around me and I couldn't help but smile despite the cloud of anxiety hovering over me. 

Padma and Luna sat across me, Padma conversing with her Gryffindor sister and Luna debating with Ginny. Ron, Seamus, and Dean were discussing Quidditch once again and Harry and Hermione were whispering to one another. I didn't mind if I didn't have anyone to talk to because I really needed time sorting out my thoughts and planning my strategy.

My mission was to foster inter-house unity in hopes of destroying blood status prejudice but why do I feel like I should be doing more? 

"A sickle for your thoughts?" I turned to see Neville staring at me.

"Ah, Nev, hi! Nice of you to join us." I greeted him and the tips of his ears turned red.

"Ah yes...at first I didn't know where to sit since everyone seems to be sharing tables but in the end, I decided to just sit whenever, when I saw you spacing out. Is everything okay? You seem tired...I mean, you did train early didn't you? I may have caught snippets of your conversation earlier...erm...sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop." He continued, not meeting my eyes.

"It can't be helped. Ginny can beat a baby mandrake when she wants to." I quipped, giving him an opening to start a conversation and he gladly took it.

We were in the middle of discussing muggle herbs when there was a sudden rustling noise above us and a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning 

mail. 

The owls circled the tables, looking for the people to whom their letters and packages were addressed when all of a s udden, a large tawny owl soared down next to Neville and deposited a parcel into his lap and I watched as he blushed again.

On the other side of the Hall, an eagle owl had landed on Draco's shoulder carrying what looked like sweets and cakes from home and I raised an eyebrow.

_ Well, well, well! Who would have thought that the bitter Slytherin Prince has a sweet tooth? _

Suddenly, a falcon swooped down, sending all the other owls in a frenzy and landed in front of me. A small messenger bag had been strapped on its chest and it looked at me in anticipation. 

I reached a hand towards the bird and it straightened up, allowing me easier access on the bag. I slowly opened the bag and saw two boxes, one a wooden box and on top of that was a ring box. I carefully took it out before closing the bag and giving the falcon a little treat.

I gave it a small bow and it bowed as well before flying away.

"What's that, Ara?" Padma asked and I turned my attention to the boxes. I decided to open the wooden box first as it was as big as my plate and on the lid were peonies clustered in the middle. Below the flowers were Hiragana letters that read Grace, Beauty, Good Luck...Gifts befitting our princess. At the lower right corner of the box was my grandfather’s seal which was that of a dragon coiled around itself and resting in maple leaves that were flying around it. The Hiragana of our family name ran vertically in the middle of the dragon's body.

I raised an eyebrow and opened it. Two ornate pairs of kanzashi rested against the cushion, one with a winter flower design and the other with a bunch of Chrysanthemum. I raised an eyebrow, wondering why they decided to send me some hair ornaments when Padma spoke.

“Oh! Those look like formal hair ornaments!” She mused and I nodded.

“They are actually, we call it a kanzashi. The winter flowers,” I indicated the first hairpin, “...are usually the flowers used for decorations during December while the Chrysanthemums are the seasonal flowers of October. I wonder why they sent me this? Will there be a ball or something?” I finished and Padma and Hermione cleared their throats.

“Maybe...we’ll never know. Oh look, there's a letter." Hermione mused as she plucked out a piece of parchment wedged at the edge. She handed it to me and I looked at the Hiragana of my nickname, Arashi. I opened and looked at the elegant curves of my grandfather's Hiragana. Him writing this way meant one thing...this message was strictly for me. I began to read.

[ ](https://imgur.com/PtsdgrV)

After I read the note, I immediately returned it back to the box with the intention of burning it later and picked up the kanzashi with Chrysanthemum.

It was 6 inches long and on the stick, written in Hiragana were the words, "I am your sword."

I grinned and gathered up my hair, putting it in a bun using the kanzashi. I was able to do it properly the first time and my grin widened.

"That's a really beautiful ornament, Ara. It complements your hair." Ginny mused and I thanked her. After that, I cast a protection charm to avoid the wooden box from being stolen and turned my attention to the ring box.

There was no seal on the lid and I knew the reason why: to further hide my identity as a Fawley just in case that whoever started the Third Wizarding War in my time would figure out our plan.

Shaking my head, I opened it and a simple scale-shaped onyx ring with silver lining rested on the gold cushion. I picked it up and looked at it carefully and inside of it was an elegant inscription that read, "I am your Shield and your Navigator" resting above an arrow.

I slipped it in my finger and a warm feeling enveloped me. There was another note tucked into the cushion and I picked it up.

[ ](https://imgur.com/jt1IyIk)

I put the note away and my gaze turned towards Professor Snape who had been watching me. When our gaze met, he gave me a quick nod and subtly showed his ring finger which had a black band on it.

Suddenly, I felt my ring vibrate and I turned to look at it and words formed on the surface.

_ Don't be too obvious my dear niece, we have eyes here remember? _

I looked at Professor Snape and he was casually speaking with Professor McGonagall but I knew he was watching me through his peripheral vision.

I sent him a message and I watched as he subtly lifted the ring to his eyes and a smirk formed in my face.

After that, I turned my attention back to my friends and continued with breakfast.

"By the way, were you able to get your O.W.L.s result, Ara? I mean you did take it before you transferred right?" Neville asked.

“Oh yeah, I received it along with my Hogwarts letter. I’ll be taking up most of it except History of Magic. That shit’s boring and I know more about History than whatever they’ll teach me. Speaking of, I need to return to the Ravenclaw table. I’ll just meet up with you later yeah? ” I was about to get up from the table when Valentine approached me, along with the Pureblood girl who approached her yesterday--Adelaide Fawley.

"A-Arashi?" She asked in the nickname I asked her to call me and I smiled at her.

"Good morning dear, what's wrong? Are they treating you okay back at your house?" I asked as I ruffled her hair which was a bit messy. I turned towards Ada and saw her looking up to me, the Fawley hazel eyes staring into mine.

“And hello there. Thank you so much for welcoming Valentine to the table yesterday.” I smiled and she smiled, blushing.

“You are welcome. I like Valentine and I don’t like the other housemates, so I guess I’m happy with her,” she answered and Valentine blushed as well. 

“I was a bit scared when they sorted me there because I was muggle-born but Ada really helped me out.”

"Thank you so much for that, Ada. Now the two of you, sit here and let me fix your hairs." I instructed and they nodded jovially before sitting beside me sideways so I could get good access to their hair.

I undid Valentine’s hair first and it fell until her back. I braided it before turning to Ada who wanted the same style as Valentine’s. When I finished they gave me a hug and stood up, heading towards their table.

I felt someone staring at me and I saw Draco, a green apple on his hand. I raised an eyebrow at him and he sneered before getting up from their table as well, his friends following close behind but they didn’t leave immediately.

I shrugged and stood up to move to my table as well. All of a sudden, Cormac McLaggen stood in front of me, blocking my way and I raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" I asked as he leaned closer, and I felt my back hit the edge of the table.

He was taller than I was and he bent in an awkward position, baring his neck at me while he kept his eyes on mine, trying to look seductive.

"Hello, Miss Shirai! I wasn't able to talk to you while we were with Professor Slughorn and I'm taking the time to do just that...so can I walk you to your table?" He asked confidently and I slowly pushed him away from my personal space.

"Thanks but why the fuck are ya barin' yer fuckin' neck at me? I ain't a vampire an' I can' possibly find this position sexy." I hissed and I heard people trying to hide their laughter by disguising it as a cough.

He turned red and I was shocked when he pulled me closer to him and the scent of bubblegum infiltrated my nostrils. The scent was familiar and I realized that it was the scent of the love potions from Fred and George's shop. 

_ Oh? He's trying to use a potion on me huh? Tough luck buddy, I have control over myself. But let's have fun, shall we? _

I pulled away from him and he peered at me, a knowing look on his face and a smirk.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, my love. Are you okay?" He said, voice low and I felt stares coming from every direction.

I gave an unnaturally high pitched giggle and cupped both of his cheeks with my hands.

"Why are you so rough today, hon? Did you really miss me that much?" I mused in a honeyed voice and his smirk widened.

"Come with me. I'll show you just how much I missed you." He said, his eyes hooded and he leaned closer.

I did the same and I felt his hands wrapping around my waist. Closer...closer.

CRACK!

I gave him a headbutt, the sound echoing across the hall. He fell on the floor and I stood over him as he tried to focus. I immediately grabbed his robe and pulled him closer, trying to find the love potion bottle. When my fingers closed in on it, I pulled it out and looked at it.

"Wow, McLaggen, blue balls gotcha so desperately that you’re willing to hit on the new girl? And with the aid of a love potion?" I said, tone calm and cold as I grabbed him by the front of his robes and pulled him closer again, leveling my gaze with his.

"If you want me to consider you even for a brief moment then don't fucking trick me. Nothing good ever comes with lies, ya hear? If you want a girl to notice you then be more sincere with your intentions." I lamented before letting go of him and handing the love potion bottle to Hermione. After that, I strode back to our table where Professor Flitwick was already handing the schedules.

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Characters all belong to J.K. Rowling except for Ara and this is just an idea of how I want to see them act. No copyright infringement intended. Also, there are some parts of the book that I would be replicating so yeah, just giving everyone a head's up. I don't want to be charged with Plagiarism ehehehe.
> 
> Also, check my Twitter account if you want, https://twitter.com/win_drabbles as I might be posting updates and fanfic art there (maybe?) but I won't promise anything so uhm...yeah. Thank you for reading! Kudos and feedback is appreciated :)


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